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Candidatus Methanoperedens, a type of bacteria that lives in freshwater, turns methane gas into electricity. Today’s methane-powered biogas generators convert no more than 50 percent of the gas into power.As for the microbes? Scientists say they can already turn 31 percent of the methane into electricity, and there’s still room for improvement.Small bacteria found in fertilizer-polluted freshwater ditches, streams, and lakes are like little power generators, according to new research from Radboud University in the Netherlands. There, scientists found that the bacteria Candidatus Methanoperedens uses nitrate to help break down methane. From there, the microbes “donate” electrons, creating a mini methane-eating power cycle that allows them to act as teensy batteries while naturally producing electricity….