If you thought that last blog post on pee power was cool, you’ll just love today’s post on bug juice. Nope, we’re not talking about juicing cockroaches here (hey, that’s cruelty to animals, which is not cool!) Instead we’re talking about bugs in the sense of bacteria, tiny organisms that can only be seen with a microscope. And we’re talking about juice in the sense of electricity. What do the two have in common? Read on to find out.

If you are into animals, you may already know that some one them, like some eels for example, can create electricity. Electric eels are pretty big and can give an unfortunate diver a real shock. But did you now that smaller creatures such as bacteria can also generate electricity? It’s true. And they can do it under super-harsh conditions. No light? Scorching hot? Bombarded with radiation? No problem for these super juice generators!

That’s pretty cool. But the big question is how do we make use of this neat trick? Can we harness the electricity produced by the bacteria in some way? Scientists at MIT (Massachusetts Institute for Technology) think that they have found a way to do just that! Enter the bacteria-powered fuel cell. Give them some plant waste to break down and the bacteria get all fired up in their own self-contained battery. Scientists believe this may be one of the answers to our future energy needs. But, of course, it’s not quite ready for market just yet. There are still a few glitches to work out. Right now, it takes ages for the fuel cell to recharge—about 6 months to recharge a battery like the one you use in your cell phone!