U.S. Geological Survey - Microbiology
From supplying energy to impacting human health, scientists study the microbes that play a role in the Nation's energy resources.
Energy Research Activities
Demand for alternative energy sources has caused microbiologists and others to look at microbes as potential sources of alternative energy. Possibilities include the use of microbial processes in photosynthesis to potentially produce a method of converting solar energy to produce hydrogen. Still other bacteria, produce hydrogen as a waste product. Microbiologists are also looking at the possibilities of converting microbial biomass to electricity while other researchers are working to discover if bacteria could be used in a fuel cell to convert waste to electricity.
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