
Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the quest to generate clean electricity from bacteria. Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the quest to generate clean electricity from bacteria.
Findings published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) show that proteins on the surface of bacteria can produce an electric current by simply touching a mineral surface.
The research shows that it is possible for bacteria to lie directly on the surface of a metal or mineral and transfer electrical charge through their cell membranes. This means that it is possible to ‘tether’ bacteria directly to electrodes – bringing scientists a step closer to creating efficient microbial fuel cells or ‘bio-batteries’.
The team collaborated with researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State in the US. The project was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the US Department of Energy.
Shewanella oneidensis (pictured) is part of a family of marine bacteria. The research team created a synthetic version of this bacteria using just the proteins thought to shuttle the electrons from the inside of the microbe to the rock.
They inserted these proteins into the lipid layers of vesicles, which are small capsules of lipid membranes such as the ones that make up a bacterial membrane. Then they tested how well electrons travelled between an electron donor on the inside and an iron-bearing mineral on the outside.
Lead researcher Dr Tom Clarke from UEA’s school of Biological Sciences said: “We knew that bacteria can transfer electricity into metals and minerals, and that the interaction depends on special proteins on the surface of the bacteria. But it was not been clear whether these proteins do this directly or indirectly though an unknown mediator in the environment.
“Our research shows that these proteins can directly ‘touch’ the mineral surface and produce an electric current, meaning that is possible for the bacteria to lie on the surface of a metal or mineral and conduct electricity through their cell membranes.
“This is the first time that we have been able to actually look at how the components of a bacterial cell membrane are able to interact with different substances, and understand how differences in metal and mineral interactions can occur on the surface of a cell.
“These bacteria show great potential as microbial fuel cells, where electricity can be generated from the breakdown of domestic or agricultural waste products.
“Another possibility is to use these bacteria as miniature factories on the surface of an electrode, where chemicals reactions take place inside the cell using electrical power supplied by the electrode through these proteins.”
Biochemist Liang Shi of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said: “We developed a unique system so we could mimic electron transfer like it happens in cells. The electron transfer rate we measured was unbelievably fast – it was fast enough to support bacterial respiration.”
The Latest Bing News on:
Biobatteries
- The Battery That Never Gets Flaton January 19, 2023 at 8:07 pm
“Biobatteries” and energy scavenging could make these devices energy-autonomous, removing the need for invasive surgery to replace dead batteries. As a bonus, this wireless world would avoid ...
- Binghamton University professor and students develop biobatteries which could power ingestible camerason January 8, 2023 at 4:00 pm
BINGHAMTON (WBNG) -- Binghamton University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Sean Choi along with his Ph.D. students have developed a battery which could power ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 10:47 am
Related: China Sets The Tone In Oil Markets At Year's End As energy experts try to innovate ahead of further environmental degradation or the overreliance on yet another natural resource, biobatteries ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 10:47 am
Maryland is not the only university looking to develop biobatteries, with LUT University in Finland also conducting research into the technology. In 2023, LUT plans to invest in the development of ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 2:00 am
Demand for lithium has exploded in recent years and is expected to climb exponentially as the world embraces the energy transition and requires more batteries. Unfortunately, the mining of lithium ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Biobatteries
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biobatteries” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
[/vc_column_text]
The Latest Bing News on:
Biobattery
- Getting under your skin for better health with interstitial fluid testingon January 20, 2023 at 7:55 am
The next frontier of continuous health monitoring could be skin deep. Biomedical engineers at the University of Cincinnati say interstitial fluid, the watery fluid found between and around cells ...
- 'Smart patch' could be used to detect Alzheimer'son January 16, 2023 at 4:00 pm
A leading Swansea University scientist has developed a new "smart patch" that can detect proinflammatory biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's) through the ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 10:47 am
In addition to human urine as fertilizer and genetically engineered, nitrogen-absorbing plants, one product with major potential is the biobattery. Energy firms and governments worldwide are pumping ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 10:47 am
In addition to human urine as fertilizer and genetically engineered, nitrogen-absorbing plants, one product with major potential is the biobattery. Energy firms and governments worldwide are pumping ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 10:45 am
In addition to human urine as fertilizer and genetically engineered, nitrogen-absorbing plants, one product with major potential is the biobattery. Energy firms and governments worldwide are pumping ...
- Is There A Future For Bio-Based Batteries?on December 30, 2022 at 2:00 am
In addition to human urine as fertilizer and genetically engineered, nitrogen-absorbing plants, one product with major potential is the biobattery. Energy firms and governments worldwide are ...
- Microbial Fuel Cell Powers Ingestible Deviceson December 27, 2022 at 6:13 pm
Another option is to use the nutrient-rich fluid in the intestine to power a so-called biobattery. “There are some regions in the small intestine that are not reachable, and that is why ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Biobattery
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biobattery” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]