It has been known for some time that microbes are capable of creating electricity while reducing or remediating organic wastes and that these processes can be exploited using devices called Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). MFCs have many potential advantages over traditional methods of generating electricity, and have been investigated in the past, including by NASA in the 1960s for application to power generation in space. However, these studies were limited by the kind of microbes identified and the state of knowledge of basic biological processes.

Recent advances have changed this picture, and enabled the development of microbial fuel cells for commercial applications. The most important advance has been the discovery of microbes that are far more efficient at creating electricity from organic matter than previous candidate organisms. Further, advances in biotechnology have enabled the optimization of these electricity-producing organisms for various applications.

IntAct Labs is pioneering the optimization and application of MFCs for commercial use. Backed by proprietary technology and techniques, and currently funded in part by the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts, we are developing optimized fuel-cell systems to remediate wastes and generate electricity. This revolutionary technology is particular suited for NASA’s needs in space. The unique characteristics of microbial fuel cells will also find use in diverse terrestrial applications, such as powering sensor networks in extreme environments, or reducing the cost of waste remediation. For more information about our work in this area, please contact us: info@intactlabs.com