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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Characterizing Electron Transport through Living Biofilms

Characterizing Electron Transport through Living Biofilms

Published on: June 1, 2018

Microbial autotrophy driven by extracellular electrons generated from mechanical forces via flexoelectricity.

Yue Lai¹, Jiaojiao Wang¹, Guoping Ren²

¹Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Nature Communications

|June 3, 2026

Summary

Microbes can now grow using mechanical energy converted to electricity by mineral flexoelectricity. This novel pathway supports microbial life without light or chemical energy sources.

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Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Materials Science
Bioengineering

Background:

Mechanical force is a newly recognized microbial energy source via direct mechanical-to-electrical conversion.
The flexoelectric effect, a universal mechanoelectrical coupling, is underexplored for microbial energy.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate a mechanically-driven microbial growth mechanism using the flexoelectric effect.
To demonstrate microbial energy acquisition from mechanical force in the absence of other energy sources.

Main Methods:

Utilized flexoelectric manganese oxide and electroactive Rhodopseudomonas palustris in a biohybrid system.
Applied mechanical force to induce flexoelectricity in manganese oxide nanosheets.
Monitored microbial growth and metabolic activity under dark conditions without chemical electron donors.

Main Results:

Mechanical force on manganese oxide nanosheets generated free electrical charge via flexoelectricity.
Rhodopseudomonas palustris utilized this electrical energy for growth, coupling carbon fixation and denitrification.
Microbial growth was sustained in complete darkness and absence of chemical energy sources.

Conclusions:

A novel microbial energy acquisition pathway driven by mineral flexoelectricity was demonstrated.
This mechanism supports microbial survival in energy-limited environments.
Findings provide evidence for diverse mechanical-to-metabolic coupling in biological systems.