The
Microbial fuel cell
National Centre for Biotechnology Education
Copyright © Dean Madden, 2015
www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk
“The disintegration of
organic compounds by
microorganisms is
accompanied by the
liberation of electrical
energy.”
M.C. Potter, 1911
Potter’s fuel
cell
Copper wires
to voltmeter
Glass ring to keep
dialysis tubing open
Dialysis tubing
Yeast and
sugar solution
Platinum
electrode
Platinum electrode
Glass bung to hold
dialysis membrane open
Sugar solution
Rehydrate 2.5 g
of yeast in 5 mL
of buffer
Add 5 mL of 1M glucose
solution to the yeast
Cut two electrodes
Waste
Fold to make a ‘tail’
on the electrode
‘Grain’ of
carbon
paper
38 mm
26 mm
Make two
identical
half cells
Gasket
Cloth
Electrode
Electrode
Membrane
Gasket
Cloth
Gasket
Cloth
Electrode
Add 5 mL of 10 mM
methylene blue
solution to the
yeast
Syringe the
mixtures into
opposite sides
of the cell
Potassium
hexacyanoferrate (III)
Yeast, glucose and
methylene blue
How it works