Microbiologists have proposed a novel means to generate power and clean-up an environmental pollutant through the same reactive process.

This is based on a proof of concept study where Radboud University Nijmegen scientists have successfully demonstrated that it is possible to make methane-consuming bacteria generate power. So far this has only been demonstrated within the laboratory setting, although the potential exists for scale-up.  

The technology uses methane-consuming bacteria (methanotrophs) to generate power. The bacteria metabolize methane, which they used as their source of carbon. The metabolic process unlocks the energy of oxygen, nitrate, and sulphate. Earlier studies have shown how the bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus can be used to produce animal feed from a natural gas source.

Methanotrophic bacteria are estimated to consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year. This leads to the possibility that these organisms have the potential to convert what is a potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel.