News
Shock to bacteria activates nature’s electrical grid
In environments without oxygen, the bacterium Geobacter “breathe” by projecting tiny protein filaments called nanowires into bacterial communities known as biofilms to dispose of excess electrons resulting from the conversion of organic waste to electricity. But it has remained a mystery how these bacteria, which stack themselves on top of each other like apartment high-rises, send electrons over distances 100-times their size.
In previous research, the team showed that nanowires comprised of a protein called OmcS contained tiny metallic building blocks, or hemes, throughout their length. OmcS transmits electricity. The new study found that when stimulated by an electric field, the bacteria produce previously unknown nanowires of a different, more efficient protein, OmcZ. It transmits electricity 1,000 times more efficiently than OmcS.
Source: YaleNews