Derek Lovley

Professor Derek Lovley's research team has discovered a tiny biological structure that is highly electrically conductive. This breakthrough helps describe how microorganisms can clean up groundwater and produce electricity from renewable sources. The conductive structures, known as microbial nanowires, are produced by a novel microorganism called Geobacter. "This completely changes our concept of how microorganisms can handle electrons, and it also seems likely that microbial nanowires could be useful materials for the development of extremely small electronic devices," says Derek. The U.S. Department of Energy believes the project has significant potential and has awarded $21.8 million over five years to investigate Geobacter.

Related links
Derek Lovley Faculty Page
Geobacter.org
Microbiology Department