Researchers at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Shikoku Electric Power Co. are conducting an experimental project exploring the potential of soil microbes for use in fuel cells amid expectations that they could serve as a clean, long-lasting, and affordable power source. Microbial fuel cells are devices that generate electricity using bacteria that release electrons as they consume organic materials. Electrogenic microbes, such as those from the Shewanella species, are said to be present in nearly all types of soil on Earth. Although it was discovered over 100 years ago t…