Study shows how bacteria guide electron flow for efficient energy generation May 14, 2018 1:45 pm by news@illinois.eduResearch Share on Facebook Tweet Email Researchers, from left, Sangjin Hong, Yuhang Wang, Chang Sun, Emad Tajkhorshid and Robert Gennis determined the structure of a supercomplex of enzymes many bacteria use to generate energy. Images Biochemists at the University of Illinois have isolated a protein supercomplex from a bacterial membrane that, like a battery, generates a voltage across the bacterial membrane. The voltage is used to make ATP, a key energy currency of life. Share on Facebook Tweet Email