>>> NON-POLLUTING AND LOW-COST
RENEWABLE ENERGY, RIGHT OUT OF
THIN AIR.
SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?
TWO UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
PROFESSORS, MICROBIOLOGIST DEREK
LOVELY AND JUN YAO, AN
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEER
SAY IT'S NOT.
WORKING TOGETHER, THEY ARE
CREATING ENERGY FROM MOISTURE IN
THE AIR, AND THEY EXPLAINED THE
DETAILS TO CARRIE SALDO IN THE
STUDIO.
>> I THINK IN A WAY IT IS
INTERESTING, BUT IN ANOTHER WAY
IT IS PROBABLY NOT THAT, YOU
KNOW, ASTONISHING.
BECAUSE, IN FACT, WE HAVE SEEN
THIS DATA.
CONSIDERING THERE IS ELECTRICITY
COMING FROM THE AIR, RIGHT.
SO NOW IN THAT CASE, ACTUALLY,
WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGE
THAT BUILD UP AT THE TOP AND
BOTTOM INTERFACE.
IT IS BASICALLY MADE OF
MOISTURE.
WE KNOW THE AMBIENT MOISTURE
COULD GENERATE ELECTRICITY IN
THAT WAY, IN LIFE EXPERIENCE.
THE CHARGE IS AT A THRESHOLD.
THE LIGHTNING IS THE
ELECTRICITY.
IT ACTUALLY CONTAINS A HUGE
AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, BUT
THE BETTER THING THAT WE DIDN'T
HAVE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE
IT.
NOW I THINK IN A WAY, THIS
DEVICE, YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT IS
KIND OF NATURALIZED, SMALL
CROWD.
ITS TOP INTERFACE IS EXPOSED TO
THE AMBIENT MOISTURE AND THE
BOTTOM INTERFACE IS SEALED.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE TOP
INTERFACE, BECAUSE IT IS EXPOSED
TO THE AMBIENT HUMIDITY, THE
WATER MOLECULE CONSTANTLY
BOMBARDS THE TOP INTERFACE.
THAT BUILDS UP THE CHARGE.
SO IN A WAY THE TOP INTERFACE
BUILDS UP THE CHARGE AND THE
BOTTOM INTERFACE DOES NOT.
IT CREATES 
THE SAME SCENARIO.
THE CHARGES AT TOP AND BOTTOM.
IF YOU CONNECT THE TOP AND
BOTTOM ESSENTIALLY YOU WILL GET
ELECTRICITY.
>> SO THE WIRES, PROFESSOR, YOU
HAVE CREATED, THESE SPECIAL
PROTEIN NANO WIRES, THEY ARE
THAT CONNECTION THAT PROFESSOR
YAO WAS TALKING ABOUT?
>> CORRECT.
I DIDN'T CREATE THEM.
THIS MICRO WE TALKED ABOUT MAKES
THE WIRES.
JUN IS SAYING THIS ISN'T SO
SPECIAL, I THINK IT IS AMAZING.
NOBODY EXPECTED WE WOULD
CELEKTY.
>> I SAID IT WAS AMAZING.
I TRIED TO CLARIFY THE
MECHANISM.
>> SO PERHAPS HE IS BEING A BIT
HUMBLE.
>> I THINK HE IS BEING TOO
HUMBLE.
WHEN HE FIRST TOLD ME THEY HAD
DONE THIS WITH THE PROTEIN WIRES
WE WERE, I THINK BOTH, SHOCKED.
>> REALLY, THIS COULD HAVE VERY
SCALEABLE IMPLICATIONS FOR
CREATING CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY,
RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
>> SO WHAT ARE YOU POWERING
RIGHT NOW WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY?
>> CURRENTLY, I THINK AS DEREK
SAID BEFORE, BECAUSE INITIALLY
WE WERE LIMITED BY THE
PRODUCTION OF -- INITIALLY WE
ONLY MADE A SMALL AMOUNT.
WE MADE A SMALL DEVICE, THE SIZE
OF A HUMAN NAIL.
THAT SIZE.
SO WE USE THAT DEVICE TO POWER
UP L.E.D.
OR L.C.D., SO MORE
THAN ONE WE CONNECTED SEVERAL
DEVICES.
SO THAT IS THE LEVEL OF POWER
CURRENTLY WE ARE WORKING WITH.
BUT NOW AS DEREK SAID, HE HAS
LIFTED, OVERCOME THE MATERIAL
PRODUCTION, SO PERSONALLY I SEE
THAT WE INCREASE AND CAN SCALE
UP THE TECHNOLOGY.
YOU CAN IMAGINE ANY KIND OF, YOU
KNOW, TOOLS OR IF WE HAVE HUGE
DEVICES, WE CAN POWER UP EVEN
REMOTE STATION.
BUT DEREK CAN'T COMMENT ON THE
MATERIAL SIDE.
>> I WOULD SAY IT IS MY FAULT
THEY HAVEN'T MADE ANYTHING
BIGGER YET BECAUSE WE WERE
MAKING THE WIRES WITH THIS
MICRO -- WHICH IS VERY
INTERESTING ENVIRONMENT AL
MICROBE AND HARD TO GROW 
IN THE
LAB.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GROW MASS
QUANTITIES KNOWN AS E COLI.
I FEEL RELIEVED.
NOW THE BALL IS BACK IN JUN'S
COURT TO MAKE THE BIGGER
DEVICES.
>> HOW IS THE E.COLI BEING USED
TO ADD INTO THESE WIRES AND GRAB
WATER VAPORS FROM THE AIR AND
CREATE ELECTRICITY.
IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT SCIENCE
FICTION IS MADE OF FOR A
LAYPERSON LIKE MYSELF.
>> SURE.
THEY MAKE THESE WIRES THE WAY WE
GROW HAIR AND THE WAY WE COLLECT
THEM IS WE THROW THEM IN A
BLENDER AND THAT CHOPS ALL THE
WIRES OFF, AND WE STRAIN THEM
OUT ON A FILTER AND PUT THEM IN
WATER AND GIVE THEM TO JUN AND
THEY MAKE THE DEVICES.
>> DO YOU FORESEE A PLACE WHERE
THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED IN
A HARMFUL WAY IF IT IS TAKING
WATER VAPOR OUT OF THE AIR AND
USING THIS AT SCALE TO POWER
HUGE THINGS LIKE BUILDINGS AND
HOMES, ARE WE EVENTUALLY GOING
TO SUCK ALL THE HUMIDITY OUT OF
THE AIR AND HAVE A PROBLEM ON
OUR HANDS?
>> NO.
THE WATER MOLECULE STAYS AS THE
WATER MOLECULE.
ESSENTIALLY MEANS NOTHING
CHANGED.
ESSENTIALLY THE WATER MOLECULE
COMES IN, DONATE A LITTLE BIT OF
ENERGY, NOTHING CHANGES, LEAVES,
ANOTHER WATER MOLECULE COMES IN.
IT IS A CYCLE.
>> TRULY RENEWABLE.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND CLEAN.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> WITH NO FORSEEABLE DOWNSIDES
AT THIS MOMENT, ABSOLUTELY NONE?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> IN FACT, IT IS GREEN BECAUSE
I THINK TRADITIONALLY WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT GREEN TECHNOLOGY, WE
ONLY FOCUS ON THE ENERGY
CONVERSION PART, ESSENTIALLY
NOTHING IS PRODUCED DURING THE
CONVERSION PROCESS.
BUT PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT HOW
YOU MAKE IT.
THE FABRICATION OR THE
PRODUCTION OF THE WIRES ITSELF
CAN BE LESS CLEAN, PRODUCE A LOT
OF E-WASTE.
NOW THIS IS A MUCH GREENER
TECHNOLOGY, THE CONVERSION
PROCESS AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE
IS -- THE SECOND IS THE DEVICE
SIDE ESSENTIALLY REALLY IS THE
REAL GREEN MATERIAL DOESN'T HAVE
ANY TOXIC PROCESSING INVOLVED.
DEREK CAN COMMENT MORE ON THIS.
>> WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH
THESE PROTEIN WIRES BECAUSE IT
IS SUCH A SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL.
WE DON'T HAVE TO MINE ANYTHING.
WE GROW MICROBES ON RENEWABLE
SUBSTRATES.
IT IS BIODEGRADABLE.
SO WHEN YOUR DEVICE IS DONE, YOU
ARE DONE WITH IT, IT CAN JUST BE
RECYCLED.
SO IT IS TOTALLY GREEN.
>> SO AS YOU ARE BOTH
ENVISIONING HOW THESE
TECHNOLOGIES MIGHT BE LEVERAGED,
WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING?
>> WELL, I'M HOPING THEY CAN
SCALE IT UP.
JUN CAN CERTAINLY MAKE SMALL
DEVICES FOR POWERING WALSH
ELECTRONICS, BIOMEDICAL CENTERS,
FOR EXAMPLE.
THE REAL EXCITEMENT IS IN THE
POSSIBILITY OF SCALING IT UP.
THEORETICALLY, SOMETHING THE
SIZE OF A REFRIGERATOR CAN POWER
A SMALL HOME.
NOT THE ELECTRONICS PERSON, TO
ME, THAT IS WHAT IS SUPER
EXCITING.
