One example of gold in cutting-edge innovation is the 'air-gen'. Developed by a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, this air-powered generator uses two key components to derive electricity from humidity: a type of bacteria called Geobacter, and gold. In this illustration, the generator's ultra-thin film is shown between two flat electrodes. The film is made of nanowires, and the nanowires are made of an electrically-conductive protein. This protein is is produced by the Geobacter bacteria and made electrically viable thanks to gold. Even in its early stages, air-gen is able to power small electronics and perform in areas as dry as the desert.