Metal-breathing bacteria could transform electronics, biosensors, and more: Study of bacterium links biology, materials science, and electrical engineering

When the Shewanella oneidensis bacterium 'breathes' in certain metal and sulfur compounds anaerobically, the way an aerobic organism would process oxygen, it produces materials that could be used to enhance electronics, electrochemical energy storage, and drug-delivery devices. The ability of this bacterium to produce molybdenum disulfide -- a material that is able to transfer electrons easily, like graphene -- is the focus of new research.