Scientists have discovered an efficient enzyme that generates electricity from air

 In a breakthrough discovery, Australian scientists have found an enzyme that can convert air into electricity using small amounts of hydrogen in the atmosphere. The enzyme, called Huc, was isolated from a common soil bacterium, Mycobacterium sigmatis, and analyzed by a research team led by Dr. Rhys Grunter, Ashley Krupp, and Professor Chris Greening of Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Melbourne.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, shows that Huc is exceptionally efficient at converting hydrogen gas into electricity and can be found in minuscule amounts below the surface of the atmosphere. If produced sufficiently, these enzymes could replace solar panels with wind-powered devices.

The research was carried out in collaboration with Oxford Biochemistry and Queen's College undergraduate Jack Baddeley, who conducted molecular modeling and simulations of the enzyme, while Professor Seema Khalid supervised the experiment as a Professor of Computational Microbiology in the Department of Biochemistry.

Scientists believe that many bacteria use hydrogen as an energy source in nutrient-poor environments, and this discovery could pave the way for new devices that can generate energy from air. The study also suggests that these enzymes can be stored for an extended period.

This breakthrough could have significant implications for renewable energy sources, and further research is underway to explore its potential applications.