Microbial Fuel Cell Kit

Check out a promising form of alternative energy with our Microbial Fuel Cell Kit! This electricity generation MFC kit was developed exclusively for Science Buddies; it contains two microbial fuel cells that allow you to run simultaneous tests, compare different soil conditions, create electricity-generating mud, and more. Who knew you could use mud to explore electrical engineering??

What's a microbial fuel cell? 

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) basically mimic bacterial interactions that are found in nature; they use bacteria and a high-energy oxidant (like oxygen) to create an electrical current!

With this hands-on microbial fuel cell kit, middle and high school students can explore alternative power sources, better understand electrochemistry and electron transfer, and discover the unique ability and power of microbes (microorganisms).  

Here's how it works:

1. Simply pack the fuel cell vessels with mud
2. Align the anodes and cathodes as directed in our project instructions (this science fair pack can be used for all sorts of neat MFC projects!)
3. Sit back and wait for the "magical microbes" (or electrogenic bacteria) in the mud to make an electrical current! 

This Microbial Fuel Cell Kit includes hacker boards that sit on top of the microbial fuel cells, allowing you to power LED lights or a combined clock/thermometer (included in the kit) from the energy the electrogenic microbes create. A digital multimeter is also included in this microbial fuel cell kit, so you can make exact measurements to determine the amount of power you are generating daily. This classic kit is a fun and easy introduction to a cutting-edge topic in renewable energy! 

A few ideas you can explore with this kit include:

• Wastewater treatment (Waste Not, Want Not: Use a Microbial Fuel Cell to Create Electricity from Waste)
• Power output from mud (Turn Mud into Energy With a Microbial Fuel Cell)
• And more!

Instructions for this kit are available online. See below for links to the instructions and more.

You will also need from home: 
Topsoil, water, measuring spoons, bowls, and a measuring cup. Specific items, like salt or urine, are needed for certain projects. Please consult the instructions for each Microbial Fuel Cell kit project for a complete list of additional materials.

Instructions are NOT included with the kit, but are available online from Science Buddies.

Each Microbial Fuel Cell kit contains:

• 2 Microbial Fuel Cell vessel
• 2 Anode
• 2 Cathode
• 2 8-pin hacker board with voltage-boosting chip and circuitry for making additional electronics connections
• 2 LED
• 2 Capacitors, 10uF 50v
• 1 Combined digital clock/thermometer
• 7 Standalone resistors
• 2 Alligator clip leads
• 2 Jumper wires
• 1 Digital multimeter
• 1 Nitrile gloves, pair