Part II

Now let us look at how microorganisms can help the power industry.

The concept of creating biochemical energy sources has a fairy long and chequered history. In the past century it arose on many occasions, and then became forgotten and later again surfaced. In recent years the development of microelectronics and space technology has led scientists of many countries to search for new biochemical energy sources. Aided by what is known as “ electric” microorganisms, which generate and accumulate electricity, cheap economical small-sized biochemical cells have already been created. It has been discovered that “living electric batteries” could already be used in systems of providing spaceships with hydrogen, oxygen, drinking water and air. At this stage, biochemical cells generate energy for sea buoys, automatic sonar system, lighthouses and other types of signaling and safeguarding equipment.

The rapid growth of urban centers and their population has created a problem of waste utilization. Of all domestic waste the greatest trouble is given by plastics. Should used containers be burned? But, resisting burning, plastics only melt and clog up the incinerator lattices and release a smoke which poisons the atmosphere with noxious combustion by-products and stench.

Scientists are searching for a solution by employing microorganisms, and not without some success. Not long ago encouraging news came from Britain: its researchers had grown microbes which convert polychlorvinyl film into carbon. Scientists hope that inthe near future bacteria will eventually help solve the problem of urban dump cluttered up by “ eternal” plastic packets and other synthetic items. As a step further they will evolve special bacteria which could “infect” plastics in the course of their manufacture. For some time bacteria must remain inactive but when containers are dumped, under the action of the environment they will become activated, destroying the plastic.

The scientific search for useful bacteria, which should be made to work for man, is in fact, only beginning. In time each area of practical endeavor will be able to obtain on demand the required culture of microorganisms.

In future, when man has achieved complete control of these living communities and has learned to create any required microbial culture, he will be able to consider transforming the atmosphere on the nearby planets. He will be able to send enormous clouds containing earthly microorganisms which will hover in the upper layers of, say the Venusians atmosphere, “feeding” on the vast amounts carbon dioxide discovered in it. The microorganisms would release oxygen and as they multiply this process of creating an artificial atmosphere would accelerate. Within a comparatively short period – centuries, if not decades – the process which took whole geological ages on earth would convert Venus into a planet hospitable to man.