Bacteria made to sprout conducting nanowires

Iria · Jul 13, 2006, 10:00 PM

Source: New Scientist
___________
The discovery that a wide variety of bacteria can be persuaded to produce wire-like appendages that conduct electricity could prove vital to the development of more efficient biological fuel cells.

Bacteria that use sugars and sewage as fuel are being investigated as a pollution-free source of electricity. They feed by plucking electrons from atoms in their fuel and dumping them onto the oxygen or metal atoms in the mixture. The transfer of the electrons creates a current, and connecting the bacteria to an electrode in a microbial fuel cell will generate electricity, although not necessarily very efficiently.

vailr · Jul 13, 2006, 11:00 PM

Ever heard of "Morgellon's Disease"?
What if these "engineered" bacteria were to get loose?
Or, maybe they already have:
http://www.morgellons.org/
http://morgellonsusa.com/

Jul 13, 2006, 10:00 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Bacteria made to sprout conducting nanowires Source: New Scientist ___________ The discovery that a wide variety of bacteria can be persuaded to produce wire-like appendages that conduct electricity could prove vital to the development of more efficient biological fuel cells. Bacteria that use sugars and sewage as fuel are being investigated as a pollution-free source of electricity. They feed by plucking electrons from atoms in their fuel and dumping them onto the oxygen or metal atoms in the mixture. The transfer of the electrons creates a current, and connecting the bacteria to an electrode in a microbial fuel cell will generate electricity, although not necessarily very efficiently.

Jul 13, 2006, 11:00 PM	#2
vailr DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 72 Rep Power: 0	Ever heard of "Morgellon's Disease"? What if these "engineered" bacteria were to get loose? Or, maybe they already have: http://www.morgellons.org/ http://morgellonsusa.com/