Whaddaya lookin' at, scum bag? Image: Flickr

Got some pond scum? Well, now you've got power.

Scientists over at my Alma Mater Penn State (come for the party, stay for the desalination) have figured out how to manipulate and harness the electricity created by certain types of bacteria found in lakes or other natural sources of water.

Here's how it works: Take a cup of grimy pond water. In there, you'll find millions of microbes, some of which naturally produce electrons and protons inside their cells and transport them to their exteriors. Other bacteria "pick up" these free electrons and protons and use them as fuel to create hydrogen, methane, or other chemicals, which can serve as energy sources.

The scientists developed a series of two membranes to draw away the electrons, ions, or gases created by the microbes, toward an anode or a cathode, which are positively and negatively charged electrodes. And, as a side bonus, the whole process renders the water nearly pure. BAM. Cheap energy and clean water.

As we've discussed on this blog before, current desalination processes are ginormous energy hogs, often creating more issues with their exhausting of certain resources. Researchers are optimistic that this process can be ratcheted up to a large, commercial-scale processes.

"(Using this approach) you basically need zero power input, and it could even produce energy if you use organic material as the input," says Hong Liu, a scientist at Oregon State University also developing microbial fuel cells.