Scientists at Penn State have discovered how microbe-powered fuel cells can generate power without any electricity to start the process, BBC News reports.
"There are bacteria that occur naturally in the environment that are able to release electrons outside of the cell, so they can actually produce electricity as they are breaking down organic matter," explained co-author Bruce Logan, from Pennsylvania State University, US.
"We use those microbes, particularly inside something called a microbial fuel cell (MFC), to generate electrical power.
"We can also use them in this device, where they need a little extra power to make hydrogen gas.
Original source: BBC News
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