Micro goes macro

Back in 1987, when two electric bacteria, Geobacter and Shewanella — which transfer electrons from their cells to metal oxides — were discovered, Nikhil Malvankar was a primary school student, blissfully unaware of these microbes that would one day guide his career — and give him sleepless nights and global recognition.

Malvankar wasn't always interested in microbiology. He had degrees in physics and was pursuing a PhD in superconductors at the U.S.-based University of Massachusetts Amherst when, in 2005, his supervisor began collaborating with Derek Lovley, the microbiologist who discovered Geobacter. Malvankar found himself being drawn to this new interface of biology and physics. "I felt I might be able to identify some new physics principles that allow these electrons to move in a living system. That's what really attracted me to the field," he says.