NRL Issued Patent for Solar Microbial Fuel Cell

(WASHINGTON • Date xx, 2017) - The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, has received a U.S. patent for a self-assembling, self-repairing, and self-contained microbial photoelectrochemical solar cell driven entirely by sunlight and microorganisms. Schematic depiction of simplified mechanism of power generation by the benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC), without box labeled '5' corresponding to photosynthesis, and for the microbial photoelectrochemical solar microbial fuel cell (SMFC) reported here, with box labeled 5. Other labels include: (1) biofilm catalyzed anode reaction; (2) biofilm catalyzed cathode reaction; (3) fermentative reaction,...