Bacteria found in North Sea produce electricity

An international team of marine researchers from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) have found so-called “living batteries” in the North Sea off the coast of Ostend. The long, wire-shaped bacteria produce electricity, creating a sort of electrochemical battery in the seabed.

The bacteria found in Ostend and also in the Dutch Delta are the first to be isolated and identified, but the phenomenon occurs worldwide and has a great impact on the ecosystem of seabeds. Creating a natural battery gives the bacteria a big advantage in the competition for energy-rich food substances.

“The bacteria are 100 times thinner than a hair and form a long string of thousands of cells that pass on electrons to each other,” says professor Filip Meysman of VUB. “By producing electricity, they ingeniously get energy from the seabed.”

Scientists will now examine how the different cells of the bacteria co-operate to produce energy. “This technique offers interesting opportunities for innovative research on bio-electric materials and applications,” explains Meysman. “Maybe a smartphone in 10 years will work on minuscule bacteria conductors.”

www.microbial-electricity.eu

photo courtesy NIOZ