Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It’s been a while since we had an update from the exciting frontier of microbial fuel cell technology, but researchers at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute report a recent breakthrough in understanding precisely why bacteria seem to enjoy donating their electrons for the potential betterment of gadgetkind. The ASU team developed an equation that describes the relationship within the rate of bacterial metabolism

and the electrical potential of the fuel cell, enabling a much more accurate model of how an MFC actually works. The researchers are working with that knowledge to optimize fuel cell performance and capability output, which to term has been disappointingly inefficient. Before expanded, we could totally be taking it for granted that our robotic underlings are powered by beer and poo.

Orginal post by Barb Dybwad