When it comes to energy from food, the human body is not capable of extracting all of it. Our waste, therefore becomes an untapped energy source.
Now, believe it or not, due to a purple photosynthetic bacteria, we are able to convert our poop into carbon and hydrogen energy sources.
A team of Spanish chemists have found a way to utilize the ability of a bacteria to turn light into energy, and use it in order to break waste down into useful fuels.
When the scientists took the bacteria and stimulated with a low electric current, it managed to suck up from some feces the hydrogen. It further extracted the carbon, which prevents any greenhouse gas emissions.
What this means, it that the chance of the carbon being able to be used in various materials and energy sources is in fact a possibility.
This study in particular, had the main goal of showing that the process could work. However, the researchers are hopefully that this process could be one that is used to extract clean and usable fuel out of the wastewater treatment process, rather than throwing it all away.
As it stands right now, waste waster treatment plants in general dry out and then dump human waste while burning off any potential gasses emitted.
There has been other research done on this topic, experimenting with turning poop into power, however this one is the first to take purple bacteria has been set loose.
A new meaning has been brought to the idea of clean energy.