This new technology could significantly impact the future of renewable energy, climate change and future of medicine. What it is? Electricity from thin air. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture in the air. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere. “We are literally making electricity out of thin air,” says Jun Yao, electrical engineer on the project. “The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7.”