Teenager Uses Bacteria to Generate Electricity

Kartik Madiraju is a Montreal, Canada, high school student with an impressive record of science fair achievements. His latest project uses magnetotactic bacteria to generate a small electrical current at a potential of about 0.75 volt.

Magnetotactic bacteria were discovered in 1975. Their cells feature a row of tiny crystals of magnetite, a naturally magnetic mineral. Madiraju hypothesized that the bacteria would generate a current if moved past a pair of electrodes inside a small chamber. The experiment was successful. According to a report in Wired magazine, "Current and power were sustained at 25 microamps and 5.5 microwatts, respectively, beyond 48 hours at a resistance of 10 kohms [10,000 ohms]."

Madiraju's experiment may have practical applications, for magnetotactic bacteria are quite common in bodies of water. While the power output is small, it might be sufficient to operate various sensors and microelectronic circuits, perhaps even in an aqueous environment.

You can learn more about Kartik Madiraju and his science projects by searching on his name. You can learn about his magnetotactic bacteria project in the article published in Wired magazine.

Thanks to Mark Streitman for notifying The Citizen Scientist about this intriguing project. Mark is the founder and president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society for Amateur Scientists.

Forrest M. Mims III