[Raptor235]

A new study recently published in the Biotechnology and Bioengineering journal examines the use of bacteria as a possible option to create electricity. The research team took a critical look at microbial fuel cell technology with the real possibility that it could be commercialized in the future. The lead author and grad student, Andrew Kato Marcus said “"We can use any kind of waste, such as sewage or pig manure, and the microbial fuel cell will generate electrical energy." One of the most exciting parts is that conventional fuel cell need hydrogen while MFC handles water based organic fuels.

"There is a lot of biomass out there that we look at simply as energy stored in the wrong place," said Bruce Rittmann, director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology. "We can take this waste, keeping it in its normal liquid form, but allowing the bacteria to convert the energy value to our society's most useful form, electricity. They get food while we get electricity."You can find the entire article here http://aboutmyplanet.com/science-tec...bacteria-power

[debrajean]

I've heard a lot of people already use pig manure for fuel and now scientists are actually using corn as fuel...

[ALF]

Bacteria from digestive bacteria produce methane. for example the waste treatment facility in Ann Arbor pumps sewage effluent to the Landfill to decompose Landfill waste to useable methane which is in turn sold/given to Michcon (local Gas company) for resale (Lot$a in return) to the public as natural gas. This concept is not new. Town gas..., Methane composters at dairy farms etc. But ecoli 11 as a cellulisic ethanol producer is interesting. Animal waste products are high in potential energy due to the abundance of Hydrogen.Most these bacteria are however Oxygen intolerant, ie anaerobic., pig waste, cow waste, and chicken waste,and human waste all fit this profile.

[justontime]

Thanks for this post and the links, it makes very interesting reading and I have learnt a lot.

[EviesEarth]

I have not heard/read about this before. It is very interesting and would be a good solution to a few issues.

[atula]

i did learn about the fact that algae...the blue green one that is present in rivers beds and ponds can be used to generate electricity and many scientist and companies are actually trying to commercialize it but this research you are talking about also sounds very promising...

[chris1203]

I think that this is incredible and smacks of "science fiction," lol. But if they could harness bacteria as enrgy, there would certainly never be a shortage.

[ALF]

Ecoli 11 may be far fetched, but reality may reveal other opportunities for research and investment, but i feel thats already been done for the most part. We currently have to take action to expose concealed technological advances. While this may be perceived as threatening infrastructures that support society, it is not our intent to bring harm to them, but to empower ourselves through a greater realization/revelation that knowledge regarding our concerns are present, prevalent, and applicable on a different scale of applications. Maybe ecoli11 is not an answer. maybe E. coli O157:H7 is. Maybe further insights can result from self acctualized education try wwwPoet.com. It sounds to good to be true, sorta! Poetic "it sounds to good to be true", or does it.