‘Bio-batteries’ Use Clean Electricity from Bacteria

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 10:09am
Shewanella oneidensis bacteria. (Source: UEA/Alice Dohnalkova)Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the quest to generate clean electricity from bacteria.
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."
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. 
"Rapid electron exchange between surface-exposed bacterial cytochromes and Fe(III) minerals," by Thomas A. Clarke, Gaye White, Julea N. Butt and David J. Richardson (all UEA, UK), and Zhri Shi, Liang Shi, Zheming Wang, Alice C. Dohnalkova, Matthew J. Marshall, James K. Fredrickson and John M. Zachara (all PNNL, USA) is published by PNAS



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