The discovery that bacteria can be used to produce electricity from waste and renewable biomass has gained much attention. Recently the increased interest in microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology was highlighted by the naming of Geobacter sulfurreducens KN400, a bacterial strain capable of high current production, as one of the top 50 most important inventions for 2009 by Time Magazine.
This list was also populated with other energy related devices such as solar shingles, smart thermostats and energy reducing light bulbs, further stressing the importance currently placed on energy.