Researchers at Monash University Melbourne discovered an enzyme that converts the hydrogen in the air into electricity. This find will potentially allow the creation of environmentally friendly generators of infinite energy.
The scientists named this enzyme Huc. It is extracted from the soil bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis, which has the unique ability to generate electricity from the surrounding air. This feature allows it to grow and survive in extremely difficult conditions – on the ocean floor, in volcanic depressions and in Antarctic soil. Unlike other chemical catalysts, Huc consumes very little hydrogen (less than atmospheric levels – about 0.00005% of the air we breathe), does not depend on the presence of oxygen and can withstand heating up to 80 degrees and strong cooling.
Huc can find practical use in devices that do not require high-powered power (such as wearable electronics or smart home gadgets). The energy generated by bacteria is enough for such devices to run smoothly without requiring charging.
The study of the possibilities of the Huc enzyme is at the initial stage, therefore, at present, there is no talk of the practical use and production of energy sources based on it. One of the tasks that scientists have to solve is to come up with a way to obtain it in large volumes.