February 11, 2016 Not all electrons jump. Different proteins in our bodies have electrons that jump from one location to another. That’s the way we get energy from food. Electrons in other bacteria in soils and oceanic mud need to travel greater distances, and they use hair-like proteins - as we might use copper wire - to transmit electricity. Dr. Nikhil Malvankar, Assistant Professor in the Microbial Sciences Institute at West Campus, is extending this work to examine how these hairs, or pili, aid the spread of infections like gonorrhea, cystic fibrosis and cholera by binding to human cells. Working with the US Navy, he is also exploring how to use these bacteria to harness electricity in remote areas to offset battery use and associated costs. #microbialscience #Yale #yalewestcampus #ideapaint #electrons #biophysics #biochemistry #proteins #microbes #electricity #science #research A post shared by Yale West Campus (@yalewestcampus) on Jul 15, 2015 at 1:32pm PDT
