(STUDY FINDS) – In a groundbreaking development, scientists have successfully engineered E. coli bacteria to generate electricity, potentially revolutionizing both waste management and energy production. Researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) utilized a process called extracellular electron transfer (EET) to make the bacteria highly efficient at electrical current generation. This innovation resulted in a three-fold increase in electrical current generation compared to traditional methods.
According to the study, the team accomplished a milestone by creating a complete EET pathway within E. coli, something that has never been achieved before.
“We engineered E. coli bacteria, the most widely studied microbe, to generate electricity,” says Professor Ardemis Boghossian of EPFL, in a media release. “Though there are exotic microbes that naturally produce electricity, they can only do so in the presence of specific chemicals. E. coli can grow on a wide range of sources, which allowed us to produce electricity in a wide range of environments, including from waste water.”
