Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi!

I am interested in conducting a project for Science Fair involving microbial fuel cells. I live by a lake in which there are high E. coli levels. These levels often cause beaches along the lake to be closed. I would like for my project to address using a microbial fuel cell to harness energy from bacteria in the sand along the beaches.

How would I convert this idea into a science fair project?

Thank you

Hello!

That's a very interesting idea for a project, especially since it is inspired by your surroundings.

Science Buddies has a variety of project ideas to get inspiration from, and there are even a few regarding microbial fuel cells. I will provide two links below, the first being specific to your topic, and the other being the generic page for finding project ideas.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... obial+feul
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... e-projects

I'm not an expert on microbial fuel cells, but from my understanding, you would like to find a way to use local bacteria to harness energy. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of a few possibilities:

-How the bacteria's environment/living conditions affect energy production
-How the number of bacteria affects energy production
-What type of microbial fuel cell would produce the most energy
-How the rate of energy production changes over time

These are only a few ideas; feel free to tweak them or come up with completely different ideas.

I also wanted to address a safety concern; I'm sure you are already aware that E. coli could pose health concerns to humans. I'd suggest researching other possible bacteria to use with less health risks or taking steps to ensure that you are not in harm's way.From my understanding, you could also use food waste, in which case you could examine different types of food waste and their energy output.

I hope that helps! Don't hesitate to ask any other questions