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Microbial electricity

Microbial electricity

Microbes that generate and conduct electricity over long distances…

Surprise in the seafloor

A surprise in the seafloor

How a new microbial pathway revolutionizes marine sediment geochemistry...

A new way of life

A new way of life

The discovery of an entirely new form of microbial metabolism...

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Electrifying research...

Welcome to the homepage of the Microbial Electricity Research Team coordinated by Prof. dr. ir. Filip Meysman. The research team involves scientists from the University of Antwerpen (Belgium) and Technical University of Delft (The Netherlands). Research is funded by the European Research council (ERC), Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and a VICI grant by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

An intriguing discovery

None of the recent advancements in microbiology has been so perplexing as the discovery that multicellular bacteria are capable of inducing electrical currents over centimetre-scale distances. This implies that biological evolution has somehow produced a highly conductive biological structure. The prospect of bio-based material with exceptional electrical properties could push material science and electronics far beyond its current limits. Read more

Research topics

Our research focuses on fundamental research questions regarding microbial electricity. How do micro-organisms generate electrical currents? What is the mechanism of electron transfer? What are the conductive structures and their properties? How can we use this knowledge for new materials and technology? What are the implications for natural ecosystems? Read more

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Join the team!

Are you excited about research? Are you full of new ideas? Do you like the research topics on our web page? Check out open positions.

  • Prospective PhD students can apply for a PhD project within the team at any time, do not hesitate to contact us!
  • We are equally interested in accomodating outstanding postdocs. If you have a fellowship or you are interested in developing your own proposal, please contact us!
  • Student Projects! We have a range of challenging bachelor and master projects, and can tailor the project to the expertise and interests of the student.