A breakthrough in energy generation? Scientists from Melbourne’s Monash University were able to explain how a microscopic enzyme called Huc can act like a “natural battery” using traces of hydrogen from the air to produce a small electrical current, in a study published in Nature last week.

What makes Huc so special? The enzyme’s unique properties — created by bacteria to adapt and survive harsh environments including volcanic craters and Antarctica — is what gives the enzyme this super power, Bloomberg explains. Unlike all other known enzymes and catalysts, Huc is a “hydrogen gas scavenger” that is able to use the negligible 0.00005%concentrations of hydrogen available in the atmosphere, the study concludes.

But there’s still a lot we don’t know: The researchers said that the enzyme could potentially power small devices if we figure out how it can be applied as a technology. Further experiments on supplying extra hydrogen to fuel the enzyme are needed to understand whether Huc is capable of generating significantly more electricity, the business information service writes quoting the Monash scientists.

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