Bacterium That Generates Electricity

In this Nature paper, the researchers extracted the enzyme responsible for using atmospheric hydrogen from a bacterium called Mycobacterium smegmatis. They showed that this enzyme, called Huc, turns hydrogen gas into an electrical current. Dr. Grinter notes, "Huc is extraordinarily efficient. Unlike all other known enzymes and chemical catalysts, it even consumes hydrogen below atmospheric levels—as little as 0.00005% of the air we breathe."

A screenshot of a scientific text about the enzyme Huc, extracted from Mycobacterium smegmatis, which converts atmospheric hydrogen into an electrical current. The humorous appeal comes from the unexpectedly suggestive bacterial species name and the absurdly efficient microscopic energy source, making it a reaction image for strange science facts. EN: A screenshot of a scientific text about the enzyme Huc, extracted from Mycobacterium smegmatis, which converts atmospheric hydrogen into an electrical current. The humorous appeal comes from the unexpectedly suggestive bacterial species name and the absurdly efficient microscopic energy source, making it a reaction image for strange science facts.

• @rzeczyzabawne / 7111 2023-03-08