In the January 29, 2013 issue of mBio, published by the American Society for Microbiology, it was announced that scientists have found a way to cultivate iron-eating bacteria electrochemically. Essentially, they provide them with a supply of free electrons that the bacteria use for respiration. “It’s a new way to cultivate a microorganism that’s been very difficult to study. But the fact that these organisms can synthesize everything they need using only electricity makes us very interested in their abilities,” said Daniel Bond of the BioTechnology Institute at the University of Minnesota.
