It is an indisputable fact that we, as whole of humanity, are facing the threat of the climate crisis, which will probably lead us to the greatest mass extinction in the history of the world years from now. When it comes to greenhouse gases, one of the main causes of climate change by keeping the heat in the atmosphere, one of the first things that come to mind is methane gas, which insidiously causes us to sink deeper into the climate crisis.
Methane gas, which is at least 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide in retaining heat in the atmosphere, is collected and burned at the facilities and is mainly used in power generation; however, this procedure is actually a formula with relatively ‘low’ efficiency. However, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, this situation may change.
It has been discovered that a genus of methane-breathing microbes can convert methane into electricity
Researchers from the Netherlands, looking for ways to obtain more electrons from methane, have found quite unusual, even discovered a type of power plant where you would need a microscope to see it. Stating that this discovery could be very useful for the power section, microbiologist Cornelia Welte from Radboud University said, “In existing biogas plants, methane is produced by microorganisms and then burned, which generates power by driving a turbine. In this way, less than half of the biogas is converted into power, and this is the output of the biogas that can be obtained. It is the maximum capacity. We want to evaluate whether we can do better using microorganisms.” uses the terms.
The study focuses on a genus of archaea-bacterial-like microbes known for their marvelous ability to survive under strange and harsh conditions, able to decompose methane even in oxygen-deprived environments. First identified in 2006, this particular type, known as the Anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea, can discharge electrons in a chain of electrochemical reactions, use one type of metal or metalloid outside of their cells, and even transfer them to other varieties around them. The ANME genus Methanoperedens is known to oxidize methane with the help of nitrates.
Attempts to withdraw electrons from this process from microbial fuel cells result in the generation of very small voltages, with no clear confirmation of exactly what processes might be behind the conversion. For these archaea to show promise as methane-ingesting power cells, they must emit a current in a clear and unambiguous form. Moreover, the fact that Methanoperedens is a difficult microbe complicates matters even more.
31 percent of the power in methane can be converted to electrical power
So Welte and other researchers also collected a sample of microbes they knew dominated these methane-spewing archaea and analyzed them. grown in an oxygen-free environment, where methane is the only electron donor. In addition, the researchers created an electrochemical cell designed to generate an active current by placing a metal anode set at zero voltage near the colony. “We’re creating a two-terminal medicine battery where one is the biological terminal and one is the chemical terminal,” said Heleen Ouboter of Radboud University, “We grow the bacteria on one of the electrodes where it donates electrons from the conversion of methane.” saves in format.
The group, which subsequently analyzed the conversion of methane to carbon dioxide and measured fluctuating currents of up to 274 milliamps per square centimeter, observed that just over a third of the current could be directly attributed to the breakdown of methane. The resulting efficiency was found to be comparable to some power plants, with 31 percent of the power in methane being converted into electrical power.
Further work on this process may mean that it is possible to create highly efficient live batteries powered by biogas, generating more sparks from each gas cut and reducing the need for methane piping over long distances. And this is of the utmost importance, given that some methane plants produce membrane power at an efficiency of about 30 percent. But if we look at it from a more optimistic perspective, it seems that a valuable step may have been taken toward finding a way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Source: sciencealert.com