A ground-breaking discovery could change the way electricity is generated.
A “natural battery” – an enzyme that can convert air into electrical energy – has been found by Monash University researchers.
They say their findings, which have been published in the journal Nature, have significant implications for the future of clean energy.
Major breakthrough
Many bacteria use hydrogen from the atmosphere as an energy source in nutrient-poor environments, the researchers said.
“We’ve known for some time that bacteria can use the trace hydrogen in the air as a source of energy to help them grow and survive, including in Antarctic soils, volcanic craters and the deep ocean,” said Professor Chris Greening, from Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute.
“But we didn’t know how they did this, until now.”
They found that an enzyme, called Huc, turns hydrogen gas into an electrical current. Enzymes are special proteins that help to speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.
The hydrogen-guzzling enzyme is extracted from a common soil bacterium called Mycobacterium smegmatis.
This bacteria can be grown in large quantities, meaning there could be access to a sustainable source of the enzyme.
“Once we produce Huc in sufficient quantities, the sky is quite literally the limit for using it to produce clean energy,” lead researcher Dr Rhys Grinter said.
“Huc is extraordinarily efficient. Unlike all other known enzymes and chemical catalysts, it even consumes hydrogen below atmospheric levels – as little as 0.00005 per cent of the air we breathe.”
The scientists say it possible to store purified Huc for long periods, making it a sustainable source of energy.
“It is astonishingly stable. It is possible to freeze the enzyme or heat it to 80 degrees Celsius, and it retains its power to generate energy,” PhD student Ashleigh Kropp said.
“This reflects that this enzyme helps bacteria to survive in the most extreme environments.”
Possible applications
Although research is at an early stage, the Monash University team says Huc has considerable potential with small air-powered devices, for example, as an alternative to solar-powered devices.
The next objective is to increase Huc production, which would provide a sustainable source of clean energy.
It’s hoped that once developed, Huc could replace traditional batteries, eliminating the need for frequent charging.
This is good news for the future development of portable devices, such as laptops and mobile phones.
Wearable medical monitors and implantable medical devices could also use a Huc-based system to power them, forever, or until the device wore out.
Other uses could be to power remote sensing equipment, such as satellite sensors, radars and underground sensors, that would no longer have to rely on access to solar power.
Researchers hope that the discovery of Huc will change the future of energy production, paving the way towards a greener future where devices are powered out of “thin air”.
