Thursday, February 23, 2012
Edison would appreciate this!
The headlines are a little deceptive:
'Bacteria battery' boosted by space microbes
Turns out the 'space microbes' are commonly found in rivers as well, but for some reason were first noticed in the stratosphere and named accordingly. They get cycled up and down with evaporation and rain. Maybe 'rain microbes' would be a better term.
The more important part of the story:
Old Tom is smiling. No theory, just lots of organized trial and improvement.
One word, young man: BACTERIA. ¶ 5:26 AM
'Bacteria battery' boosted by space microbes
Turns out the 'space microbes' are commonly found in rivers as well, but for some reason were first noticed in the stratosphere and named accordingly. They get cycled up and down with evaporation and rain. Maybe 'rain microbes' would be a better term.
The more important part of the story:
The survey tested 75 species before combining the best into a Microbial Fuel Cell whose output then rose from 105 watts per cubic meter to 200, or enough to run an electric light.
Old Tom is smiling. No theory, just lots of organized trial and improvement.
"The research and findings show the potential power of the technique," said Grant Burgess, professor of marine biotechnology at Newcastle. "What we have done is deliberately manipulate the microbial mix to engineer a biofilm that is more efficient at generating electricity.
Selected by Time magazine three years ago as one of contemporary science's 50 most important inventions, microbial power harnesses the glow-worm-like electricity naturally generated by some microbes during their processing of waste water or mud. Commercial versions coat carbon electrodes with a bacterial slime whose tiny organisms convert nutrients into electrons and pass the power into a battery.
The research brings the lead in MFC technology back to the part of the world where it first began. In 1911, Prof M C Potter at Durham University produced electricity from E.coli bacteria in his botany department, a breakthrough little-remarked at the time but followed up from 1930s onwards.
One word, young man: BACTERIA. ¶ 5:26 AM
