Superbugs residing in the stratosphere could be a new source of power

Bacteria normally found 30 kilometres above Earth have been identified as highly efficient generators of electricity

Bacillus stratosphericus  is a small microbe that is found in high concentrations of the stratosphere could be a major component of the new superbio film that a team of scientists from the
Newcastle University have engineered.

75 different species of bacteria were isolated and each sample’s power generation was tested through a microbial fuel cell.

After selecting the best species, they were able to engineer a biofilm that doubles the electric output of the MFC from 105 Watts to 200 Watts.

While still relatively low, this would be enough power to run an electric light and could provide a much needed power source in parts of the world without electricity.

Among the ‘super’ bugs was B. stratosphericus, a microbe normally found in the atmosphere but brought down to Earth as a result of atmospheric cycling processes and isolated by the team from the bed of the River Wear.

Publishing their findings Feb. 21 in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Environmental Science and Technology,

Grant Burgess, Professor of Marine Biotechnology at Newcastle University, said the research demonstrated the "potential power of the technique."

"What we have done is deliberately manipulate the microbial mix to engineer a biofilm that is more efficient at generating electricity," he explains.

"This is the first time individual microbes have been studied and selected in this way. Finding
B. stratosphericus was quite a surprise but what it demonstrates is the potential of this technique for the future — there are billions of microbes out there with the potential to generate power."

Though this is not a new concept as this method has been used to treat waste water and sewage plants

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=13596

Posted by Taimoor Tariq on Feb 22 2012. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry