Earlier this month, a group of researchers from Yale University revealed a new study discovering a new type of bacteria capable of breathing electricity using light . This means that energy allows them to boost their electrical activity, enabling them to carry out respiration under specific conditions.
Thanks to this discovery, considered very important, the researchers in charge of the article will try to take advantage of all this to find new uses for it in the world, one of them being to create new sources of renewable fuel , as well as eliminating biohazardous waste , but the truth is that for this, more in-depth research and a more thorough study of these bacteria will be needed.
New bacteria that "breathe" electricity
Generally, all or most living microorganisms are characterized by their ability to breathe oxygen , which allows them to release electrons when converting nutrients into energy. However, not all microorganisms possess this ability, as it depends on their environment.
This means that many animals and bacteria have been living at the bottom of the earth or sea for years , making access to oxygen impossible. This has forced them to find other ways to breathe and survive.
In this instance, they breathe by absorbing minerals through a tiny protein filament known as a "non-nociable." Thanks to studies conducted to date by scientists, it has been observed that when these bacteria are exposed to light , they are capable of producing a large electrical current , which has opened the door to much more research.
So all these researchers in charge have begun to explore how all this could be used to stimulate the growth of optoelectronics , as well as to capture methane, which will allow the creation of mechanisms to combat global warming in the coming years.
“The dramatic increases in current in the nanowires exposed to light show a stable and robust photocurrent that persists for hours.”
Nikhil Malvankar, associate professor of Biophysics and Molecular Biochemistry at the Yale Institute for Microbial Sciences
However, these have not been the only bacteria with these abilities discovered so far, since in 2018, a group of microbiologist researchers from Washington State University found a bacterium in the Heart Lake geyser basin of Yellowstone National Park.
According to research conducted on them, it was discovered that they were capable of conducting electricity by transferring electrons to external metals or minerals , using their wire-like hairs. At the time, it was considered that this electrical current they produced could be harnessed for low-power applications.
According to the studies carried out, it is believed that as long as bacteria have fuel they can produce energy continuously, so the findings about these bacteria are very important for designing future projects that allow working with them.
On the other hand, in June 2022, a team from Binghamton University found a way to feed bio-bacteria . To do this, they conducted a study of several weeks using three types of bacteria that were placed in several chambers.
Thanks to this, it was found that they are capable of providing solutions to many problems currently affecting our planet, but all of this requires further research.
All of this has revealed how these bacteria are capable of a photosynthesis process entirely different from what we are used to. It is a respiratory mechanism that can be highly beneficial if the right approach is chosen. As such, several studies are currently underway worldwide, and it is hoped that these bacteria will be put to good use in the near future.
“It’s a very different form of photosynthesis; it’s very interesting. Here, light accelerates the bacteria’s respiration due to the rapid transfer of electrons between the nanowires.”
Nikhil Malvankar, associate professor of Biophysics and Molecular Biochemistry at the Yale Institute for Microbial Sciences
Could they be used to generate electricity for cities?
The main objective of all these studies is to enable these bacteria to produce electricity for cities, something that seems very difficult to achieve, but which has begun to be analyzed to see how possible this may be in the future.
According to research done so far, these bacteria produce protein nanowires , very small structures that, when joined with other proteins, can serve as an electrical cable through which the transfer of electrons will take place .
If these nanowires can be produced on a larger scale and form protein biofilms , then they can transfer electrons through air humidity, allowing an LED light to be switched on remotely.
Changing the way we generate electricity is fundamental to the conservation of planet Earth , especially because currently we use coal, oil, gas and fossil fuels to generate electricity, which slowly affects the climate due to the enormous amounts of carbon dioxide that trap the sun's heat that reaches us.
All of this produces what is known as the greenhouse effect . Therefore, developing a new way to obtain electrical energy in the future would be crucial, especially if it can be done using these electricity-generating bacteria.
For now, we must wait for these studies to progress further and determine how likely this will be in the future. To this end, researchers are analyzing these bacteria in great detail through various experiments that will help verify whether these theories hold true.
