Fascinating stuff.
Protein-powered device generates electricity from moisture in the air
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Scientists have developed a new device powered by a naturally occurring protein that uses moisture in the air to generate electricity.
The so-called Air-gen technology links electrodes with electrically conductive protein nanowires synthesized by the microbe Geobacter sulfurreducens. The unique combination is capable of generating electricity from moisture that is naturally present in the air.
"We are literally making electricity out of thin air," Jun Yao, an electrical engineer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said in a press release. "The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7."
The novel technology doesn't produce polluting byproducts and it is cheap to assemble. Best yet, Yao and his colleagues estimate the technology can be scaled.
"Connecting several devices linearly scales up the voltage and current to power electronics," researchers wrote in their paper on the technology, published Monday in the journal Nature. "Our results demonstrate the feasibility of a continuous energy-harvesting strategy that is less restricted by location or environmental conditions than other sustainable approaches."
Though the device requires moisture, it doesn't need to be all that humid for the technology to work. Lab tests showed the Air-gen device could generate electricity in places as arid as the Sahara Desert. And unlike solar cells and wind turbines, the technology isn't reliant on the weather. It can work day or night, indoors or outdoors.
To build the device, scientists placed a thin film of protein nanowires atop an electrode. Researchers positioned a second electrode on top, only partially covering the nanowires.
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