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Tips for Students: Revealing the Shocking Secrets of Electric Bacteria

Highlights from Expert Series

The following article expands on highlights and insights from one of our Expert Series events, which are exclusive for Young Scholars and their parents. 

Authored by: Dr. Benjamin Gross

Introduction

In this series we will explore a bacteria known as Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 that generates electricity as it respires.  We review cellular reseparation, then discuss how this bacteria is able to create currents through the use of special proteins on its membrane and how fuel cells were used to study them.  Then we explore a novel approach to measuring the current created by one individual cell through an application of optical tweezers and nanotechnology.  We talk about the development of a research project and what is involved in formulating a question and designing an approach to answering the question.

Highlights

One highlight of the presentation is the use of optical tweezers, where a high-powered infrared laser is focused in a microscope to be able to physically grab a bacterium and move it, much like a tractor beam from Start Trek.  We also discuss the process of designing and manufacturing custom nanotechnology and transparent electrodes to combine with the optical tweezers.  The finale is when we show a bacteria trapped in the beam being forced into contact with an electrode, and the electrical current it generates.

Things students can do to explore this topic further….

To explore this topic further you can dig into the academic research HERE:

Or watch the videos assigned before the talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQmTKxI4Wn4&ab_channel=HarvardOnline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAmdoOX3870&ab_channel=AtomsandSporks

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Benjamin Gross is a teacher and tutor with over 25 years of experience teaching math and physics. He received his bachelors degree in physics and math from Binghamton University in 2006 and his PhD in physics from The University of Southern California (USC) in 2015. His thesis work was in experimental biophysics where he studied bacteria that generate electricity. After graduating, Dr. Gross expanded his existing tutoring offerings to become a full time teacher and tutor building a practice that specializes in serving the educational needs of the gifted community. He has worked at several independent schools generating custom curriculum for their most advanced students, and is currently a faculty member at Mirman School where he has taught AP physics and AP calculus in 7th and 8th grade. In his private practice he works remotely with students across the country and internationally helping them to find opportunities in STEM that challenge even the most gifted minds.

Permission Statement

This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.

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