An anonymous reader writes Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) have isolated and explained the phenomenon that causes microbes to generate electricity while cleaning nuclear waste. The team hopes to use their results to create a microbial fuel cell that is capable of generating renewable energy while it cleans environments exposed to nuclear waste. The bacteria in the team studied is a kind of Geobacter is covered with a mantle of tiny nanowires that protect natural bacteria from toxic materials. While completing the complex task of stabilizing radioactive spills, bacteria simultaneously creates energy that can be exploited and used as a power source with zero emissions.