>>> NON-POLLUTING AND LOW-COST RENEWABLE ENERGY, RIGHT OUT OF
THIN AIR.
SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?
TWO UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS PROFESSORS, MICROBIOLOGIST DEREK
LOVELY AND JUN YAO, AN ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEER
SAY IT'S NOT.
WORKING TOGETHER, THEY ARE CREATING ENERGY FROM MOISTURE IN
THE AIR, AND THEY EXPLAINED THE DETAILS TO CARRIE SALDO IN THE
STUDIO.
>> I THINK IN A WAY IT IS INTERESTING, BUT IN ANOTHER WAY
IT IS PROBABLY NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, ASTONISHING.
BECAUSE, IN FACT, WE HAVE SEEN THIS DATA.
CONSIDERING THERE IS ELECTRICITY COMING FROM THE AIR, RIGHT.
SO NOW IN THAT CASE, ACTUALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGE THAT BUILD UP AT THE TOP AND
BOTTOM INTERFACE.
IT IS BASICALLY MADE OF MOISTURE.
WE KNOW THE AMBIENT MOISTURE COULD GENERATE ELECTRICITY IN
THAT WAY, IN LIFE EXPERIENCE.
THE CHARGE IS AT A THRESHOLD.
THE LIGHTNING IS THE ELECTRICITY.
IT ACTUALLY CONTAINS A HUGE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, BUT
THE BETTER THING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE
IT.
NOW I THINK IN A WAY, THIS DEVICE, YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT IS
KIND OF NATURALIZED, SMALL CROWD.
ITS TOP INTERFACE IS EXPOSED TO THE AMBIENT MOISTURE AND THE
BOTTOM INTERFACE IS SEALED.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE TOP INTERFACE, BECAUSE IT IS EXPOSED
TO THE AMBIENT HUMIDITY, THE WATER MOLECULE CONSTANTLY
BOMBARDS THE TOP INTERFACE.
THAT BUILDS UP THE CHARGE.
SO IN A WAY THE TOP INTERFACE BUILDS UP THE CHARGE AND THE
BOTTOM INTERFACE DOES NOT.
IT CREATES THE SAME SCENARIO.
THE CHARGES AT TOP AND BOTTOM.
IF YOU CONNECT THE TOP AND BOTTOM ESSENTIALLY YOU WILL GET
ELECTRICITY.
>> SO THE WIRES, PROFESSOR, YOU HAVE CREATED, THESE SPECIAL
PROTEIN NANO WIRES, THEY ARE THAT CONNECTION THAT PROFESSOR
YAO WAS TALKING ABOUT?
>> CORRECT.
I DIDN'T CREATE THEM.
THIS MICRO WE TALKED ABOUT MAKES THE WIRES.
JUN IS SAYING THIS ISN'T SO SPECIAL, I THINK IT IS AMAZING.
NOBODY EXPECTED WE WOULD CELEKTY.
>> I SAID IT WAS AMAZING.
I TRIED TO CLARIFY THE MECHANISM.
>> SO PERHAPS HE IS BEING A BIT HUMBLE.
>> I THINK HE IS BEING TOO HUMBLE.
WHEN HE FIRST TOLD ME THEY HAD DONE THIS WITH THE PROTEIN WIRES
WE WERE, I THINK BOTH, SHOCKED.
>> REALLY, THIS COULD HAVE VERY SCALEABLE IMPLICATIONS FOR
CREATING CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
>> SO WHAT ARE YOU POWERING RIGHT NOW WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY?
>> CURRENTLY, I THINK AS DEREK SAID BEFORE, BECAUSE INITIALLY
WE WERE LIMITED BY THE PRODUCTION OF -- INITIALLY WE
ONLY MADE A SMALL AMOUNT.
WE MADE A SMALL DEVICE, THE SIZE OF A HUMAN NAIL.
THAT SIZE.
SO WE USE THAT DEVICE TO POWER UP L.E.D.
OR L.C.D., SO MORE THAN ONE WE CONNECTED SEVERAL
DEVICES.
SO THAT IS THE LEVEL OF POWER CURRENTLY WE ARE WORKING WITH.
BUT NOW AS DEREK SAID, HE HAS LIFTED, OVERCOME THE MATERIAL
PRODUCTION, SO PERSONALLY I SEE THAT WE INCREASE AND CAN SCALE
UP THE TECHNOLOGY.
YOU CAN IMAGINE ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TOOLS OR IF WE HAVE HUGE
DEVICES, WE CAN POWER UP EVEN REMOTE STATION.
BUT DEREK CAN'T COMMENT ON THE MATERIAL SIDE.
>> I WOULD SAY IT IS MY FAULT THEY HAVEN'T MADE ANYTHING
BIGGER YET BECAUSE WE WERE MAKING THE WIRES WITH THIS
MICRO -- WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING ENVIRONMENT AL
MICROBE AND HARD TO GROW IN THE
LAB.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GROW MASS QUANTITIES KNOWN AS E COLI.
I FEEL RELIEVED.
NOW THE BALL IS BACK IN JUN'S COURT TO MAKE THE BIGGER
DEVICES.
>> HOW IS THE E.COLI BEING USED TO ADD INTO THESE WIRES AND GRAB
WATER VAPORS FROM THE AIR AND CREATE ELECTRICITY.
IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT SCIENCE FICTION IS MADE OF FOR A
LAYPERSON LIKE MYSELF.
>> SURE.
THEY MAKE THESE WIRES THE WAY WE GROW HAIR AND THE WAY WE COLLECT
THEM IS WE THROW THEM IN A BLENDER AND THAT CHOPS ALL THE
WIRES OFF, AND WE STRAIN THEM OUT ON A FILTER AND PUT THEM IN
WATER AND GIVE THEM TO JUN AND THEY MAKE THE DEVICES.
>> DO YOU FORESEE A PLACE WHERE THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED IN
A HARMFUL WAY IF IT IS TAKING WATER VAPOR OUT OF THE AIR AND
USING THIS AT SCALE TO POWER HUGE THINGS LIKE BUILDINGS AND
HOMES, ARE WE EVENTUALLY GOING TO SUCK ALL THE HUMIDITY OUT OF
THE AIR AND HAVE A PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS?
>> NO.
THE WATER MOLECULE STAYS AS THE WATER MOLECULE.
ESSENTIALLY MEANS NOTHING CHANGED.
ESSENTIALLY THE WATER MOLECULE COMES IN, DONATE A LITTLE BIT OF
ENERGY, NOTHING CHANGES, LEAVES, ANOTHER WATER MOLECULE COMES IN.
IT IS A CYCLE.
>> TRULY RENEWABLE.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND CLEAN.
>> RIGHT.
>> WITH NO FORSEEABLE DOWNSIDES AT THIS MOMENT, ABSOLUTELY NONE?
>> NO.
>> IN FACT, IT IS GREEN BECAUSE I THINK TRADITIONALLY WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT GREEN TECHNOLOGY, WE ONLY FOCUS ON THE ENERGY
CONVERSION PART, ESSENTIALLY NOTHING IS PRODUCED DURING THE
CONVERSION PROCESS.
BUT PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT HOW YOU MAKE IT.
THE FABRICATION OR THE PRODUCTION OF THE WIRES ITSELF
CAN BE LESS CLEAN, PRODUCE A LOT OF E-WASTE.
NOW THIS IS A MUCH GREENER TECHNOLOGY, THE CONVERSION
PROCESS AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE IS -- THE SECOND IS THE DEVICE
SIDE ESSENTIALLY REALLY IS THE REAL GREEN MATERIAL DOESN'T HAVE
ANY TOXIC PROCESSING INVOLVED.
DEREK CAN COMMENT MORE ON THIS.
>> WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THESE PROTEIN WIRES BECAUSE IT
IS SUCH A SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL.
WE DON'T HAVE TO MINE ANYTHING.
WE GROW MICROBES ON RENEWABLE SUBSTRATES.
IT IS BIODEGRADABLE.
SO WHEN YOUR DEVICE IS DONE, YOU ARE DONE WITH IT, IT CAN JUST BE
RECYCLED.
SO IT IS TOTALLY GREEN.
>> SO AS YOU ARE BOTH ENVISIONING HOW THESE
TECHNOLOGIES MIGHT BE LEVERAGED, WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING?
>> WELL, I'M HOPING THEY CAN SCALE IT UP.
JUN CAN CERTAINLY MAKE SMALL DEVICES FOR POWERING WALSH
ELECTRONICS, BIOMEDICAL CENTERS, FOR EXAMPLE.
THE REAL EXCITEMENT IS IN THE POSSIBILITY OF SCALING IT UP.
THEORETICALLY, SOMETHING THE SIZE OF A REFRIGERATOR CAN POWER
A SMALL HOME.
NOT THE ELECTRONICS PERSON, TO ME, THAT IS WHAT IS SUPER
EXCITING.