TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Gram-Negative Bacterium: The bacterium can degrade methanol into carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions. The bacterium can degrade ethanol into acetic acid. The bacterium comprises a genome identified as SEQ ID NO: 1 and is deposited under GenBank Accession No. CP000394. The bacterium comprises a I6SRNA nucleic acid that is greater than 98% or 99% identical to the nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 2. The bacterium comprises a 16SRNA nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 2. The bacterium produces methanol dehydrogenase, where the methanol dehydrogenase oxidizes methanol into formaldehyde, where the methanol dehydrogenase comprises a first subunit peptide and a second subunit peptide, and where the first subunit peptide is a first peptide, second peptide, third peptide, or fourth peptide. The first peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence greater than 61% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 3, preferably where the first peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 3. The second peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence greater than 70% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 4, preferably where the second peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 4. The third peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence greater than 77% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 5, preferably where the third peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 5. The fourth peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence greater than 72% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 6, preferably where the fourth peptide of the first subunit has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 6. The second subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 64% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 7, where the second subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 7. The amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 3-7 is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 8-12, respectively. The bacterium produces formaldehyde-activating enzyme that has an amino acid sequence greater than 82% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 13, where the formaldehyde-activating enzyme converts formaldehyde into methylene tetrahydromethanopterin, where the formaldehyde-activating enzyme has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 13, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 14. The bacterium produces methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase (NAD+/NADP) that has an amino acid sequence greater than 54% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 155, where the NAD+/NADP converts methylene tetrahydromethanopterin into methenyl tetrahydromethanopterin, where the NAD+/NADP has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 15, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 16. The bacterium produces N5N10-methenyltetrahydromethanopterin cyclohydrolase that has an amino acid sequence greater than 62% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 17, where the N5N10-methenyltetrahydromethanopterin cyclohydrolase converts methenyl tetrahydromethanopterin into 5-formyl tetrahydromethanopterin, where the N5N10-methenyltetrahydromethanopterin cyclohydrolase has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 17, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 18. The bacterium produces forrnylmethanofurantetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase that has an amino acid sequence greater than 62% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 19, where the formyfrnethanofurantetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase converts 5-formyl tetrahydromethanopterin into formyl methanofuran, where the formylmethanofurantetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 19, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 20. The bacterium produces tungsten-containing formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase that converts formyl methanofuran into formate, where the tungsten-containing formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase comprises a subunit (c) peptide, a subunit (a) peptide, and a subunit (b) peptide. The subunit (c) peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 46% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 21, preferably where the subunit (c) peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 21. The subunit (a) peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 52% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 22, preferably where the subunit (a) peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 22. The subunit (b) peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 32% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 23, preferably where the subunit (b) peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 23. The amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 21-23 is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 24-26, respectively. The bacterium produces methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NADP+) that has an amino acid sequence greater than 62% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 27, where the NADP+ converts N5N10-methylene tetrahydrofolate into N5N10-methenyl tetrahydrofolate, where the NADP+ has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 27, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 28. The bacterium produces methylenetetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase that has an amino acid sequence greater than 64% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 29, where the methylenetetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase converts N5N10-methenyl tetrahydrofolate into N10-formyl tetrahydrofolate, where the methylenetetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 29, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 30. The bacterium produces formatetetrahydrofolate ligase that has an amino acid sequence 69% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 31, where the formate-tetrahydrofolate ligase converts N10-formyl tetrahydrofolate into formate, where the formate-tetrahydrofolate ligase has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 31, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 32. The bacterium produces formate dehydrogenase, where the formate dehydrogenase converts formate into carbon dioxide, where the formate dehydrogenase comprises a first subunit peptide, second subunit peptide, third subunit peptide, fourth subunit peptide, and fifth subunit peptide. The first subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 62% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 33, preferably where the first subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 33. The second subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 74% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 34, preferably where the second subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 34. The third subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 77% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 35, preferably where the third subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 35. The fourth subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 46% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 36, preferably where the fourth subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 36. The fifth subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 62% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 37, preferably where the fifth subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 37. The amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 33-37 is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 38-42, respectively. The bacterium produces an aldehyde dehydrogenase, where the aldehyde dehydrogenase oxidizes acetaldeyde into acetic acid, where the aldehyde dehydrogenase comprises a first subunit peptide, second subunit peptide, and third subunit peptide. The first subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 51% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 43, preferably where the first subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 43. The second subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 54% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 44, preferably where the second subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 44. The third subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence greater than 73% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 45, preferably where the third subunit peptide has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 45. The amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 43-45 is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ED NO: 46-48, respectively. The bacterium produces an alcohol dehydrogenase, where the alcohol dehydrogenase oxidizes methanol into formaldehyde or ethanol into acetaldehyde, where the alcohol dehydrogenase has an amino acid sequence greater than 59% similar to an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ IDNO: 49, where the alcohol dehydrogenase has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID NO: 49, which is encoded by a nucleic acid identified as SEQ ID NO: 50. Preferred Method: Degrading an organic material comprises contacting the organic material with a degrading amount of an isolated Gram-negative bacterium above, where contacting the organic material with the bacterium degrades the organic material. The organic material comprises methanol, formaldehyde, or ethanol. The contact occurs at pH 5.0-7.5, preferably 5.5-6.5. Growing an isolated Gram-negative bacterium, designated Granulibacter bethesdensis and deposited under ATCC Accession No. BAA-1260, where the bacterium is an aerobic, facultative methylotroph that produces colonies that are yellow pigmented, where the bacterium can use methanol as a sole carbon source and can oxidize glucose and ethanol into acid, comprises culturing the bacterium at a temperature and in a medium effective to promote growth of the bacterium. The temperature is 26-37degreesC, preferably 35-37degreesC. Culturing is at pH 5.0-7.5, preferably 5.5-6.5. Converting chemical energy in an organic material into electrical energy comprises contacting the organic material with an amount of a bacterial catalyst comprising an isolated Gram-negative bacterium above. The bacterium is designated G. bethesdensis and deposited under ATCC Accession No. BAA-1260. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.