We propose using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a teaching tool promoting interdisciplinary interactions among undergraduate students in chemical engineering, bioengineering, environmental engineering and microbiology. MFC experiment embodies principles of thermodynamics, mass transport, electrochemistry, material balance and basic microbiology. We have designed a set of measurements which require that the students apply the fundamentals of their own disciplines and, in addition, learn the scientific principles of other disciplines. This process is designed to help the students to perform in working in environments where employees from various disciplines work together on the same project. For example, chemical engineering students will learn safety measures required for working with microorganisms, culturing cells, counting cells which are normally known by microbiologists. Similarly, microbiology students will learn mass and energy balances, measurements and calculations related to electronics.

Through designing and operating MFCs the students learn principles of energy production, by calculating energy efficiency, coulombic efficiency, power density, and constructing polarization curves. In addition, they learn how to use electrochemical instrumentation, by operating potentiostats connected to computer assisted data acquisition systems. At the same time they also learn principles of microbiology, by culturing bacteria, counting cells, taking images of the biofilms on the surfaces of electrodes. From working with undergraduate students in the past, we know that they are enthusiastic about using alternative sources of energy and are fascinated by producing energy using microorganisms. Setting up a microbial fuel cell and making the electrochemical measurements takes approximately three weeks, for a group of three to four students recruited from chemical engineering and microbiology, working for two hours per day and three days a week.