Unfortunately for those who are frantically looking for the Holy Grail of
Energy, the headline is misleading. Bacteria cannot power anything; they
need to be fed. If they can be fed "waste water," great! However, I wonder
about the power density these little guys and gals could generate.
Thermodynamics Rules!
Chuck Vandergraaf
_____
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Janice Matchett
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 10:29 AM
To: asa@lists.calvin.edu
Subject: Microbes - one crucial ingredient in the future of the energy
industry?
In case you missed it. ~ Janice
Bacteria could <http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1599592/posts>
power tiny robots
CNET
<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1599592/%5ehttp:/news.com.com/Bact
eria+could+power+tiny+robots/2100-1008_3-6050161.html> News ^ | 3/15/2006 |
Michael Kanellos
Posted on 03/20/2006 10:42:30 AM EST by
<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1599592/~neville72/> Neville72
A strain of bacteria that releases electrons as a waste product could become
the secret ingredient for developing fuel cells for spy drones and other
small robots.
Researchers at Rice University and the University of Southern California
have embarked on a project to harness the power of Shewanella oneidensis, a
microorganism that essentially spits lightning. Rather than consume oxygen
to turn food into energy, Shewanella consumes metals.
The waste product of its metabolic process comes in the form of excess
electrons stripped from the metals but not recombined in subsequent chemical
reactions. The bacteria lives in soil, water and other environments and can
extract its necessary nutrients from a variety of materials.
In a fuel cell, the idea is that colonies of Shewanella will attach
themselves to the anode, a component inside fuel cells and batteries that
gathers electrons, and produce electrons.
"You can feed them pretty much what is available," said Andreas Luttge, an
associate professor of earth sciences and chemistry at Rice. "The goal would
be to feed them waste water and produce energy."
Hybrid fuel cells--where one strain of bacteria feeds off the waste product
of another to produce electricity--are also possible.
Microbes could become one of the crucial ingredients in the future of the
energy industry. Researchers at Stanford University have isolated a microbe
that turns light into hydrogen, which could become a fuel source. Meanwhile,
Craig Venter, the first person to map the human genome, has formed a company
that will try to develop energy-producing microbes.
While the concept is feasible, researchers now have to figure out how to
optimize the processes involved in creating a fuel cell. Kenneth Nealson,
the USC Wrigley chair in environmental studies and professor of earth
sciences and biological sciences, will head up the research on altering the
genetic pathways of Shewanella for maximum electron production. Nealson is
one of the pioneers of geobiology and has conducted extensive research on
how microbes survive in oxygen poor environments.
Luttge and others at Rice will experiment with the anode to improve
bacterial attachment and other parameters.
In the next five years, the team wants to develop a fuel cell that can
propel itself.
The research is funded by $4.4 million from the Department of Defense's
Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. The Defense Department is
determined to put more robots in the field to transport equipment, conduct
battle operations, or serve as reconnaissance vehicles. Conceivably, a small
robot powered by a bacteria fuel cell could shuttle a camera or listening
device unobtrusively next to someone.
Received on Mon Mar 20 16:10:30 2006
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