Microbial fuel cells

• The London Zoo has used plants to power camera traps and sensors in the wild. This they achieved by installing microbial fuel cells in Pete, a fern.

Microbial fuel cells

• They are devices that use bacteria as the catalysts to oxidize organic and inorganic matter and generate current.
• Electrons produced by the bacteria are transferred to the negative terminal and flow to the positive terminal.
• Plants naturally deposit biomaterial as they grow which in turn feeds the natural bacteria present in the soil.
• This creates energy that can be harnessed by fuel cells and used to power a wide range of vital conservation tools remotely, including sensors, monitoring platforms and camera traps.

Benefits over other power sources

• Among conventional power sources, batteries must be replaced while solar panels rely on a source of sunlight.
• On the other hand, plants can survive in the shade, naturally moving into position to maximise the potential of absorbing sunlight.