Reads more like the “new Scientist” hasn’t bothered to learn Maxwell’s Equations or even Googled the “Lorentz Force”.
There might be transfer of electromagnetic charge, but not necessarily mass transfer. Where mass transfer occurs, it is frequently associated with chemistry or even solid chemistry.
The energy level potential difference is what is associated with electric force (think Lorentz force), not the mass flow of electrons, except in ionic conduction. (and if the bacteria gained electrons, it would be losing energy, since they are negatively charged).
There do exist phenomenon such as biological corrosion, but a model of eating electrons misses the academic boat.
“There might be transfer of electromagnetic charge, but not necessarily mass transfer. Where mass transfer occurs, it is frequently associated with chemistry or even solid chemistry.”
So this e-microbe eats an electron. That would normally make said e-microbe more negative thus repelling it’s next snack. I suppose if the e-microbe’s biology included positrons, it could eat electrons and gain mass, but not much and only to the extent that it had positrons to spare.
And it still would require energy to run the process. Contrary to what the author might think, electrons are not energy.
Yeah the ‘science’ is so skewed that one suspects the author of the article is ‘science illiterate’.