WesleyT Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Scientists have long studied bacteria that can clean up toxic waste by eating it. Other bacteria have been employed to produce electricity. Now scientists have found a two-for-one deal in bacteria that will eat toxic chemicals 24/7 and make electricity to boot. "The bacteria are capable of continuously generating electricity at levels that could be used to operate small electronic devices," says Charles Milliken of the Medical University of South Carolina, who conducted the research with colleague Harold May. "As long as the bacteria are fed fuel they are able to produce electricity 24 hours a day." The findings were to be presented today at the 105th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. The new study involved Desulfitobacteria, already known for their ability to breakdown and detoxify some of the most problematic environmental pollutants, including PCBs and some chemical solvents. "These bacteria are very diverse in their metabolic capabilities, including the food that they can consume. That means that these bacteria can convert a large number of different food sources into electricity," says Milliken. "The technology could be used to assist in the reclamation of wastewaters, thereby resulting in the removal of waste and generation of electricity." The bacteria perform their useful tasks while in spore form, a dormant stage of growth that can handle extreme heat, radiation and lack of water -- all useful traits for an organism that might be employed in some of the worst manmade environments. http://www.livescience.com/technology/0506...lectricity.html seems like nature has a solution for everything, greenpeace shouldnt complain this much :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+chorpeac MVC Posted August 16, 2005 MVC Share Posted August 16, 2005 interesting....kind of related to your pee and batteries... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesleyT Posted August 16, 2005 Author Share Posted August 16, 2005 interesting....kind of related to your pee and batteries... lol 586385994[/snapback] lol, both artcles where on the site i got it from, hmm in the future factories might get all the energy from their waste and it gets cleaned up in the same time lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo11883 Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 interesting....kind of related to your pee and batteries... lol 586385994[/snapback] LOL take a pee on the bacteria and get electrocuted... :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyPotatoes Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 lol jimbo! whoever invents new batteries is going to PWN teh market. thats what is holding back :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesleyT Posted August 16, 2005 Author Share Posted August 16, 2005 lol jimbo!whoever invents new batteries is going to PWN teh market. thats what is holding back :( 586386024[/snapback] the pee topic is down this one, stay on topic :ninja: :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingbob Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 This is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramble Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Cool, bacteria could be used at places like Sellafield to clean up the mess there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolslacker Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 LOL take a pee on the bacteria and get electrocuted... :p 586386008[/snapback] :rofl: :laugh: :rofl: This is really cool. I really like to see this used in real life application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin Xie Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Huh. How about going to Walgreens and buying tons of poison. Then feed them to the bacteria. Why fuel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illicit Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 LOL take a pee on the bacteria and get electrocuted... :p 586386008[/snapback] lol, this is pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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