Scientists succeeded in generating ‘electricity from deadly bacteria’

In a ‘tremendous’ breakthrough, scientists have succeeded in generating electricity from the deadly E. coli bacteria.

It could revolutionize both waste disposal and energy production sectors.

Bioelectronics experts at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) succeeded in generating electricity from bacteria under different conditions.

The team used a process called extracellular electron transfer (EET) to make the bacteria highly efficient electrocautery. This process resulted in a threefold increase in electricity production compared to conventional methods.

According to research published in the journal ‘Jol’, the researchers were able to construct the complete EET pathway within E. coli. This feat has never been achieved before.

“We made E.coli bacteria capable of generating electricity,” says EPFL Professor Ardimus Boghossian. This bacteria is the microscopic organism that has been researched the most.’

Although E. coli are bacteria with special properties that naturally generate electricity, they can only do so in the presence of certain chemicals.

‘E-coli can grow on many materials, which enabled us to generate electricity in a variety of environments, including wastewater.’

Unlike previous methods, transformed E. coli can produce electricity by consuming a variety of organic materials.

The researchers combined parts of a bacteria called Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, which is known for generating electricity. Scientists were able to create a pathway that spans both the inner and outer cell membranes.

The modified E. coli was also tested in brewery wastewater, where it thrived unlike similar electronegative microbes.

Scientists believe that this shows its ability to use large amounts of waste material and generate energy.

Professor Boghossian said, ‘Instead of providing energy to the system for disposal of organic waste, we are simultaneously generating electricity by processing organic waste and thus killing two birds with one stone.

‘We also tested our technology directly on wastewater that we took from the local brewery Le Brassieres in Lausanne.

“Normal electrobacteria were not able to survive, whereas our engineered electrobacteria were able to rapidly thrive by consuming this waste.”

The scope of this research extends beyond waste management. Scientists believe that the modified E. coli bacteria can be used to fuel microscopic cells, produce electricity from chemicals, and detect the presence of various substances in the environment.

The genetic flexibility of bacteria means it can be engineered to work with specific locations and materials, making it a versatile tool for developing sustainable technologies.

Muhammad Mohib, lead author of the research and doctoral assistant, added: ‘Our work is quite timely as engineered bioelectric germs are expanding into more and more real-world applications.’

“We set a record against a pre-existing state-of-the-art method that relies only on a partial pathway and a microbe that was recently cited in one of the largest papers published in the field. What is it.

‘We are excited about the future of electricity-generating bacteria as many scientists are researching this topic. We look forward to taking this technology to the next level and we hope others will do the same.”