Young scientists from Feati University in the Philippines have discovered a way that household pests such as cockroaches and flies can produce energy via a biological fuel cell fueled by the creature’s enzyme proteins.

Bacteria containing the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) enzyme, such as e-coli, are able to be used as catalysts for fuel cells, their biological nature making them an ideal cheap and environmentally responsible replacement for the precious metals most often used as catalysts.

Consultation with biologists and entomologists have shown that common organisms such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies and rats all carry this enzyme, making its harvesting a simple matter.

Although the team faced plenty of ridicule during its work, its ability to produce up to 1.25 volts in a catalysed reaction using enzymes from a cockroach is no laughing matter for manufacturers of fuel cells.

By combining pests with the chemicals required to create a reaction and placing them in a serial arrangement of beaker fuel cells, the team has been able to power a 24V stove and 12V fluorescent light simultaneously.

The team stresses the work is still in the early stages but as a plentiful resource for ultra clean power its research could possibly provide a solution to the dependence on fossil fuels that bugs modern society.