About This Project

Microbial fuel cells are a new technology with the dual function of treating wastewater and producing electricity. Microbes in soil constantly oxidize organic matter and make electricity that we can harvest.

By including a plant and symbiotic soil microbes, we will create a plant-microbial fuel cell (PMFC) that performs better than standard microbial fuel cells. Our design uses wetlands soil as well as new materials and processes that will improve efficiency.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) contains bacteria that clean water and generate electricity. This technology is of interest to farms, breweries, and fisheries to harness power from waste water runoff, which would require expensive treatments before release. Advancements within the last 5 years produce higher energy outputs while remaining environmentally friendly, compared to older cells which used toxic electrodes and produce too little power. PMFCs use strong symbiotic relationships between plant and soil bacteria to increase the strength of the culture, which produces electricity from the sugars provided by the plant in return for important growth nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The process is low temperature and low pressure, since it uses the conditions of standard ecosystems.

What is the significance of this project?

Both MFCs and PMFCs are established technologies, but we are the first to suggest the use of symbiotic plant-microbial relationships to create self-containing ecosystems, to provide wastewater treatment and power. In addition, improved-electrode research is scattered and our research will be a comprehensive study to advance all MFCs by bringing higher power output in the fuel cell itself. We will use drought-resistant plants that can be grown globally and soil, as opposed to hydroponics, to conserve energy and resources. The research will serve as a stepping stone for improving the living components of the PMFC. This includes optimizing symbiotic relationships between plant and microbe and the proper combination of these components for improved nutrient exchange and wastewater treatment.

What are the goals of the project?

We will collect soil, plant, and microbial samples to be the living components of the PMFC. When the non-living components of the microbial fuel cell are constructed we will confirm that it can pass a voltage. Then we will begin trials with different electrode materials to compare the effect on power output. The best current commercialized power output for general MFCs (including PMFCs) is 40 watts, and we aim to beat this. This research will be the stepping stone to our long term goals of creating more efficient PMFCs with improved soil and microbial combinations. A continuing goal of this project is creating research opportunities for community college students and provide a wide variety of university students with practical scientific experience.