UK bacteria can generate electricity, improve bio-batteries for sustainable energy production
In the UK, the University of East Anglia is researching the rate of electrical transfer inside bacterial proteins to improve “bio-batteries” for portable technology such as mobile phones and laptops powered by human or animal waste. The study has found that the rate of transfer depends on the orientation and proximity of electrically conductive ‘stepping stones’. Certain bacteria can release electrical charge from inside a cell to minerals (such as graphite electrodes in fuel cells), much like the neutral wire in a household plug.
“We hope that understanding how this natural process works will inspire the design of bespoke proteins which will underpin microbial fuel cells for sustainable energy production,” said Professor Julea Butt, lead researcher for the team from UEA’s School of Chemistry and School of Biological Sciences.
The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and performed in collaboration with researchers at University College London, UK and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA.
Category: Research
