Is it possible to use bacteria to create energy?

[KtownChemist]

I know that it is possible to engineer bacteria in order to create biofuels but it is possible to say turn bacterias chemical energy and transform it into useful electrical energy?

[npts2020]

Just offhand I would say it is possible but not with current technology. It would be similar to trying to extract energy from an electric eel.

[KtownChemist]

I was just thinking that some strands of Pseudomonas stutzeri contain large amounts of copper and silver in their membranes so would it be possible to turn them into like tiny voltaic batteries?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Why use bacteria when you can just use normal copper and silver?

[KtownChemist]

well batteries run out bacteria can keep living and producing power as long as it has adequate amounts of glucose

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

So you've shifted from having to supply batteries to having to produce food for the bacteria. That just changes the problem rather than solving it.

[foodchain]

I just read an interesting article yesterday about advances in microbial remediation or bioreactors or whatever. They are making more progress towards hydrogen production via microbes. The thing is the medium the microbes operate in is sewage. So in that process of using microbes you have possibly huge resource for a hydrogen economy while making also massive advances towards clean water.

 

I think this is interesting because the approach seems to be more plug and play with existing society. Such as it could become a step in water purification while also generating hydrogen.

[D H]

Is it possible to say turn bacterias chemical energy and transform it into useful electrical energy?

Google is your friend. Here is a rather fruitful search string: cyanobacterial fuel cells.

[insane_alien]

bacteria generate heat, meaning there will be a temperature difference, work can be extracted from this.

 

not the most efficient way to generate energy, especially as bacteria are greedy little buggers and will keep most of the fuel for themselves.

[KtownChemist]

So you've shifted from having to supply batteries to having to produce food for the bacteria. That just changes the problem rather than solving it.

 

huh? how is that changing the problem, we know how to feed bacteria glucose or say you use photosynthetic bacteria then they would create their own food so there wouldnt be a problem. in fact they would be like little solar panels in that case

[CharonY]

Well bacterial fuel cells have been around for some while. Essentially they couple oxidation processes by transfers of electrons to electrodes. In other words, they use electrodes instead of standard electron acceptors. However they generally only work with anaerobic bacteria, as aerobes use oxygen instead (and generally won't grow on electrodes).

 

Cyanobacteria do not grow on electrodes though, therefore this kind of fuel cells do not produce electricity, but they are used to produce lipids as a basic for biofuels. Same words but different meanings.

That approach (as well as biogas) is actually rather promising, it is in essence an upscaled fermenter. Fuel cells for direct generation of electricity are still far too inefficient and costly (as you have to put in electron donors in the first place), to be practically usable.

[Mr Skeptic]

If you could stick a wire inside the bacteria, and one outside, and feed it, it should function as a power supply. At least until it divides. It might turn out better to use mitochrondria for that.

[CharonY]

Well if you stick a wire through the membrane you wold short circuit it, thus destroying the membrane potential and effectively killing the cell.

 

A bacterial fuel cell used to directly create electricity works by growing cells on the anode.

[Mr Skeptic]

The wire stuck through the membrane would have to be insulated, yes. And the resistance of the wire might have to be lowered so as to not drain all the bacteria's power (though it will still get some ATP that doesn't come from the electron transport system). The advantage of this would be that you could use aerobic respiration, which would make it far more efficient. The disadvantage, of course, is who wants to stick a wire in each bacteria.