USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

University of Colorado

Justin C Biffinger

Bradley R Ringeisen

Lisa A Fitzgerald

Barry J Spargo

Peter K Wu

Se-Hee Lee

Michael Paul Malito

Zhiyong Ren

Corey T Love

Mitchell Tyler Huggins

Justin M Whiteley

Kenneth H Nealson

Erinn C (Howard) Pirlo

Erinn C Howard

Cherie Ziemer

Kurt Henry

Meghann Ribbens

The invention provides filamentous organism-derived carbonaceous materials doped with organic and/or inorganic compounds, and methods of making the same. In certain embodiments, these carbonaceous materials are used as electrodes in solid state batteries and/or lithium-ion batteries. In another aspect, these carbonaceous materials are used as a catalyst, catalyst support, adsorbent, filter and/or other carbon-based material or adsorbent. In yet another aspect, the invention provides battery devices incorporating the carbonaceous electrode materials.

Filamentous organism-derived carbon-based materials, and methods of making and using same

Disclosed is an apparatus having: a pressure chamber and a gas-producing microorganism within the chamber. The pressure chamber is capable of maintaining a gas pressure of at least 0.5 psi above atmospheric pressure.

Bacteria-based gas generator

A device having: a chamber having a gas inlet, a gas vent, and a liquid vent; and a float and a weight coupled to the chamber. The float has a lower density than the chamber. The weight has a higher density than the chamber. The aggregate density of the chamber, the float, and the weight is greater than the density of the chamber. The gas inlet, the gas vent, the liquid vent, the float, and the weight are positioned on the chamber such that: when the chamber is filled with and submerged in a liquid in which the chamber is neutrally-buoyant, the chamber is oriented to place the gas vent below the gas inlet; and when a gas is introduced through the gas inlet into the chamber that is filled with the liquid, the chamber pivots to raise the gas vent until a portion of the gas escapes from the chamber through only the gas vent.

Bouyancy control device

A method of: providing a mixture of fecal waste and a bacterium; incubating the mixture to produce a fatty acid enriched mixture; removing water from the fatty acid enriched mixture to produce a dried mixture; and pyrolyzing the dried mixture in an inert atmosphere to produce an alkane from the C-Cfatty acid. The bacterium is a type that produces a C-Cfatty acid in the presence of any microbes in the fecal waste.

Alkane enhancement of waste using microbial pre-treatement

A high throughput biological screening assay comprising at least two anodes, at least two cathodes acting as the reference electrode, and a polymer membrane placed between each anode and cathode, wherein the at least two anodes comprise a biological culture, and wherein the at least two cathodes comprise an oxidizing agent and a buffering agent. The high throughput biological screening assay wherein the at least two cathodes are connected in parallel to simulate the connection between the same cathode and different anodes. The high throughput biological screening assay further including an external resistor or open circuit and means for measuring the voltage across the external resistor or open circuit. A method of measuring power generation using a single cathode as a reference electrode to monitor the biological production of energy. A method of correlating bacterial biofilm formation within an operational microbial fuel cell directly to current output.

High-throughput biological screening assay using voltage gradients

A fuel cell comprising an anode chamber, a cathode chamber, and a nanoporous membrane between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, wherein the nanoporous membrane sequesters and isolates a microbe in the anode chamber. The nanoporous membrane allows nutrients to flow actively or passively from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber and can be modified by a thin film composite (TFC) to create a TFC nanofiltration membrane. The nanoporous membrane can have a pore size from about 100 nm to about 1000 nm. A method of making a fuel cell comprising configuring a nanoporous membrane between an anode chamber and a cathode chamber wherein the nanoporous membrane sequesters and isolates a microbe in the anode chamber and can be used to protect the cathode chamber.

Biological fuel cells with nanoporous membranes

Growing community of inventors

Woodbridge, VA, United States of America

Justin C Biffinger