Environmental Science and Engineering Seminar

The development of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has seen an enormous growth over the last hundred years since its inception by Potter in 1911. The highest level of activity has been recorded over the last decade and it is perhaps considered commonplace that MFCs are primarily suitable for stationary, passive wastewater treatment applications. Skeptics have certainly not considered MFCs as serious contenders in the race for developing renewable energy technologies. Yet this is one technology that can convert organic waste — widely distributed around the globe — directly into electricity, and perhaps, the only technology that can allow practical systems e.g. artificial agents, to autonomously operate in a plethora of environments. This talk will focus on the implementation of MFCs in real life practical applications and furthermore, demonstrate how pursuing practical (robotic) applications can provide insights into the core MFC technology.