Artificial biofilm helps double output of microbial fuel cell

By selecting the best species of bacteria, they were able to create an artificial biofilm, doubling the electrical output of the MFC from 105mW/m³ to 200mW/m³.

While still relatively low, this would be enough power to run an electric light and could provide a power source in parts of the world without electricity.

Among the bacteria was B. Stratosphericus, a microbe normally found in the atmosphere but brought down to Earth as a result of atmospheric cycling processes and isolated by the team from the bed of the River Wear.

Publishing the findings in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Grant Burgess, professor of marine biotechnology at Newcastle University, said in a statement that the research demonstrated the potential power of the technique.

‘What we have done is deliberately manipulate the microbial mix to engineer a biofilm that is more efficient at generating electricity,’ he explained.