A bacterial species that survives by ‘breathing’ rock has always puzzled the researchers for decades, even though the internal mechanism of its strange cellular respiration technique has remained far from clear.  A new study has revealed that the microbe’s ability to ‘breathe’ by transferring electrons externally to solid surfaces is inspired by a mechanism called molecular chirality. This mechanism helps S. oneidensis to thrive in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Researchers believe detailed insights on this process will help to use this mechanism in spintronics technologies, which promise to offer vastly more powerful devices than conventional computers.