Through numerous investigative studies it has been found that at present there is no such bacteria that do permit termites and cows to digest cellulose and also has the potential to power a microbial fuel cell in conjunction with those bacteria that though can produce electrical current but cannot consume cellulose. However according to a team of reputed researchers of the Penn State the vigilant pairing of bacteria happen to be in a position of creating a fuel cell consuming cellulose and bring into being electricity.

The distinguished team of researchers include Regan, the eminent research associate Thomas E. Ward, and Zhiyong Ren, a graduate student who was in charge of meticulous watch of the Clostridium cellulolyticum, a bacterium that is found to ferment cellulose, and Geobacter sulfurreducens, an electroactive bacterium. It is to be noted in this respect that both of them are anaerobic and live in those specific places where there is no existence of free oxygen. This fermenter in its turn do produce acetate, ethanol and hydrogen. The electroactive bacteria consumed some of the acetate and ethanol.

On the other hand the researchers have found that he microbial fuel cells work through the action of bacteria, which have the power to pass electrons to an anode. The electrons in general flow from the anode through a wire to the cathode, producing an electric current and the organic matter get consumed by the bacteria in the water or sediment. In addition, the cellulose gets produced by the plants for the effective utilization as their cell walls and also to provide rigidity to their structure. What's more, Along with lignin and hemicellulose, they make up huge amounts of the biomass produced by plants. Whereas there is the presence of some animals, ruminants and termites who are capable to break down cellulose with the aid of bacteria that live in their digestive tract. Cellulose also happens to be the source where from nutrition even in the minuscule magnitude s derived.  

Speaking on the occasion John M. Regan, the Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering said, "We have gotten microbial fuel cells to work with all kinds of biodegradable substances including glucose, wastewater and other organic wastes. But, cellulose is tricky. There is no known microbe that can degrade cellulose and reduce the anode." "We overcame this by putting together a microbe that can degrade and ferment cellulose and an anode-reducing bacterium that can live off the fermentation products," he concluded.