Common Soil Bacteria Harness Light to Create Natural ‘Soil Battery’

Common Soil Bacteria Harness Light to Create Natural ‘Soil Battery’
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A common type of soil bacteria has been discovered to possess the unique ability to harvest light energy and use it to power cellular functions, resulting in the creation of a natural “soil battery,” according to Earth.com.

Researchers found that the bacteria, known as Geobacter, can produce electrical energy from light, a process previously thought to be exclusive to photosynthetic organisms like plants. Geobacter uses tiny, electrically conductive protein filaments called nanowires to transfer electrons.

When exposed to light, the bacteria uses these nanowires to facilitate a transfer of energy, essentially transforming the soil into an organic battery. This discovery is significant because Geobacter thrives in oxygen-poor environments and is often used in microbial fuel cells and bioremediation efforts.

This finding suggests a previously unknown mechanism for energy harvesting in non-photosynthetic bacteria. The ability of Geobacter to convert light into usable electrical energy could open new pathways for sustainable bioenergy production and help researchers better understand the energy dynamics within natural environments like soil and sediment.