Electric Bacteria for Bio-Batteries
In an important step toward the creation of “bio-batteries,” a new study reveals how bacteria produce electricity when proteins in their cell membranes come into contact with a mineral surface.
Scientists have known for some time that a family of marine bacteria known as Shewanella oneidensi, found in deep ocean sediments and soil, can create electrical currents when exposed to heavy metals like iron and manganese.
In a study published on March 25 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that these proteins can ferry electrons across a membrane at a rate fast enough to produce the energy the bacteria need to survive.
http://www.livescience.com/28163-bio-batteries-one-step-closer.html
FiveWordsForTheFuture - Jun 2, 2013 | Energy, Innovation, Sciences, Technologies
Tagged | energy, innovation, sciences