Date of Submission
Spring 2016
Academic Programs and Concentrations
Biology
Project Advisor 1
Brooke Jude
Abstract/Artist's Statement
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education has begun to rely on novel techniques and technologies as pedagogical tools to facilitate hands-on learning. One of these emerging technologies is the microbial fuel cell; a battery powered by the metabolic activity of common soil bacteria. This project tests the key factors that can affect a microbial fuel cell’s capacity for power generation, including the microbial community present in soil samples, the addition of isolated electrogenic bacterial strains, and the availability of oxidizable, carbon-rich nutrients. These factors come together to suggest a novel application for Shewanella species of electrogenic bacteria in optimizing the design of a simple, efficient single chamber microbial fuel cell. As a result of this optimization, the microbial fuel cell can be employed easily and consistently in a classroom setting. This project also includes lesson plans for implementing the microbial fuel cell as a tool for model- and problem-based learning in elementary through advanced high school science classes while satisfying the New York State Common Core standards for science education.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Szegedy-Maszak, Andrea Maria, "Optimization of the Microbial Fuel Cell for Use in Novel STEM Pedagogy" (2016). Senior Projects Spring 2016. 89.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2016/89
This work is protected by a Creative Commons license. Any use not permitted under that license is prohibited.
Bard Off-campus DownloadBard College faculty, staff, and students can login from off-campus by clicking on the Off-campus Download button and entering their Bard username and password.
