Bacteria are often associated with disease – but in the future they could serve as a potent power source. University of Oxford researchers recently used bacteria to spin rotors in tiny ‘wind farms‘ – and they think these microscopic engines could power small electronic components like smartphone microphones.
If you’ve ever looked at bacteria under a microscope, you’ve probably seen a lot of random movement. Under ordinary circumstances, there’s not yet a way to get power from that spontaneous motion. Oxford researchers immersed a “lattice of 64 symmetric microrotors” into fluid filled with bacteria, and found the bacteria organized their movement in such a way that the microrotors spun in opposite directions – kind of like a wind farm. This organized movement creates a steady stream of power.
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The paper’s co-author Tyler Shendruk said in an Oxford press release, “When we did the simulation with a single rotor in the bacterial turbulence, it just got kicked around randomly. But when we put an array of rotors in the living fluid, they suddenly formed a regular pattern, with neighboring rotors spinning in opposite directions.”
We probably won’t be powering homes with bacteria any time soon – but this teeny power source could be beneficial for micromachines. The team said these little wind farms could also drive “devices that are self-assembled and self-powered.” Another paper co-author, Julia Yeomans, said “Nature is brilliant at creating tiny engines, and there is enormous potential if we can understand how to exploit similar designs.”
Via Gizmag
Images via Sumesh P. Thampi1, Amin Doostmohammadi, Tyler N. Shendruk, Ramin Golestanian, and Julia M. Yeomans
