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Microorganisms
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Biological-Electrode Interface as the Nexus of Breakthroughs towards Viability of...
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Biological-Electrode Interface as the Nexus of Breakthroughs towards Viability of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbial Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 10038

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ludovic Jourdin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: microbial electrosynthesis; CO2 reduction; biofilm; chemicals production; reactor design; electrode design
Dr. Catarina M. Paquete

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: multiheme cytochromes; extracellular electron transfer; electroactive organisms; electron transfer mechanisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Igor Vassilev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, 33720 Tampere, Finland
Interests: microbial electrosynthesis; electro-fermentation; carbon capture and utilization; industrial microbiology; reactor design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Society is facing energy and climate crises which call for sustainable and cost-effective technological solutions to produce energy, chemicals, fuels, feed, and food ingredients. Microbial electrochemical technologies (MET) can valorize carbon waste to such value-added products by employing microbial catalysts that are able to interact and exchange electrons with synthetic electrodes. These living biocatalysts either oxidize organics and donate the metabolically generated electrons to an anode (e.g., microbial fuel cells, electro fermentation) or take up electrons from a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide (microbial electrosynthesis) or organics (EF) to higher-value chemicals. The biological–electrode interface is key to achieving higher productivity and energy efficiency, and thus, better integration of microbes with electrode materials must be a target. This invokes the need for more research on electroactive microorganisms and biofilms, molecular and electron transfer mechanisms, synthetic biology, advanced electrode materials synthesis, reactor design, and reactor operation optimization. These are the scopes of this Special Issue. This multidisciplinary Special Issue aims to showcase recent trends in microbial electrosynthesis, electro fermentation, and microbial electrogenesis processes. We favor contributions in the form of original research, but review articles will also be considered.

Dr. Ludovic Jourdin
Dr. Catarina M. Paquete
Dr. Igor Vassilev
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • microbial electrochemistry
  • microbial electrosynthesis
  • electro fermentation
  • microbial electrogenesis
  • biofilm
  • electro-microbiology
  • electrode materials
  • extracellular electron transfer
  • electroactive organisms

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1482 KiB  
Article
Inorganic Carbon Assimilation and Electrosynthesis of Platform Chemicals in Bioelectrochemical Systems (BESs) Inoculated with Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-H4
by Rosa Anna Nastro, Anna Salvian, Chandrasekhar Kuppam, Vincenzo Pasquale, Andrea Pietrelli and Claudio Avignone Rossa
Microorganisms 2023, 11(3), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030735 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2154
Abstract
The need for greener processes to satisfy the demand of platform chemicals together with the possibility of reusing CO2 from human activities has recently encouraged research on the set-up, optimization, and development of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for the electrosynthesis of organic compounds [...] Read more.
The need for greener processes to satisfy the demand of platform chemicals together with the possibility of reusing CO2 from human activities has recently encouraged research on the set-up, optimization, and development of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for the electrosynthesis of organic compounds from inorganic carbon (CO2, HCO3−). In the present study, we tested the ability of Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 (DSMZ 14923) to produce acetate and D-3-hydroxybutyrate from inorganic carbon present in a CO2:N2 gas mix. At the same time, we tested the ability of a Shewanella oneidensis MR1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA1430/CO1 consortium to provide reducing power to sustain carbon assimilation at the cathode. We tested the performance of three different systems with the same layouts, inocula, and media, but with the application of 1.5 V external voltage, of a 1000 Ω external load, and without any connection between the electrodes or external devices (open circuit voltage, OCV). We compared both CO2 assimilation rate and production of metabolites (formate, acetate 3-D-hydroxybutyrate) in our BESs with the values obtained in non-electrogenic control cultures and estimated the energy used by our BESs to assimilate 1 mol of CO2. Our results showed that C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum NT-1 achieved the maximum CO2 assimilation (95.5%) when the microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were connected to the 1000 Ω external resistor, with the Shewanella/Pseudomonas consortium as the only source of electrons. Furthermore, we detected a shift in the metabolism of C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum NT-1 because of its prolonged activity in BESs. Our results open new perspectives for the utilization of BESs in carbon capture and electrosynthesis of platform chemicals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological-Electrode Interface as the Nexus of Breakthroughs towards Viability of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies)
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19 pages, 17688 KiB  
Article
Biologically Assisted One-Step Synthesis of Electrode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries
by Laura Galezowski, Nadir Recham, Dominique Larcher, Jennyfer Miot, Fériel Skouri-Panet, Hania Ahouari and François Guyot
Microorganisms 2023, 11(3), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030603 - 27 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2116
Abstract
Mn(II)-oxidizing organisms promote the biomineralization of manganese oxides with specific textures, under ambient conditions. Controlling the phases formed and their texture on a larger scale may offer environmentally relevant routes to manganese oxide synthesis, with potential technological applications, for example, for energy storage. [...] Read more.
Mn(II)-oxidizing organisms promote the biomineralization of manganese oxides with specific textures, under ambient conditions. Controlling the phases formed and their texture on a larger scale may offer environmentally relevant routes to manganese oxide synthesis, with potential technological applications, for example, for energy storage. In the present study, we sought to use biofilms to promote the formation of electroactive minerals and to control the texture of these biominerals down to the electrode scale (i.e., cm scale). We used the bacterium Pseudomonas putida strain MnB1 which can produce manganese oxide in a biofilm. We characterized the biofilm–mineral assembly using a combination of electron microscopy, synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Under optimized conditions of biofilm growth on the surface of current collectors, mineralogical characterizations revealed the formation of several minerals including a slightly crystalline MnOx birnessite. Electrochemical measurements in a half-cell against Li(0) revealed the electrochemical signature of the Mn4+/Mn3+ redox couple indicating the electroactivity of the biomineralized biofilm without any post-synthesis chemical, physical or thermal treatment. These results provide a better understanding of the properties of biomineralized biofilms and their possible use in designing new routes for one-pot electrode synthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological-Electrode Interface as the Nexus of Breakthroughs towards Viability of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies)
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15 pages, 2551 KiB  
Article
Deciphering Molecular Factors That Affect Electron Transfer at the Cell Surface of Electroactive Bacteria: The Case of OmcA from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
by Ricardo O. Louro, Giovanni Rusconi, Bruno M. Fonseca and Catarina M. Paquete
Microorganisms 2023, 11(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010079 - 28 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2660
Abstract
Multiheme cytochromes play a central role in extracellular electron transfer, a process that allows microorganisms to sustain their metabolism with external electron acceptors or donors. In Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, the decaheme cytochromes OmcA and MtrC show functional specificity for interaction with soluble and [...] Read more.
Multiheme cytochromes play a central role in extracellular electron transfer, a process that allows microorganisms to sustain their metabolism with external electron acceptors or donors. In Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, the decaheme cytochromes OmcA and MtrC show functional specificity for interaction with soluble and insoluble redox partners. In this work, the capacity of extracellular electron transfer by mutant variants of S. oneidensis MR-1 OmcA was investigated. The results show that amino acid mutations can affect protein stability and alter the redox properties of the protein, without affecting the ability to perform extracellular electron transfer to methyl orange dye or a poised electrode. The results also show that there is a good correlation between the reduction of the dye and the current generated at the electrode for most but not all mutants. This observation opens the door for investigations of the molecular mechanisms of interaction with different electron acceptors to tailor these surface exposed cytochromes towards specific bio-based applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological-Electrode Interface as the Nexus of Breakthroughs towards Viability of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies)
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12 pages, 4640 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Electron Uptake and Methane Production by Corrosive Methanogens during Electromethanogenesis
by Florian Mayer, Björn Sabel-Becker and Dirk Holtmann
Microorganisms 2022, 10(11), 2237; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10112237 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2018
Abstract
Electromethanogenesis is an interesting next-generation technology to produce methane from CO2 and electricity by using methanogens. Iron-corroding methanogens might be of special interest for that application due to their natural ability for electron uptake. Methanococcus maripaludis Mic1c10 and KA1 were tested in [...] Read more.
Electromethanogenesis is an interesting next-generation technology to produce methane from CO2 and electricity by using methanogens. Iron-corroding methanogens might be of special interest for that application due to their natural ability for electron uptake. Methanococcus maripaludis Mic1c10 and KA1 were tested in bioelectrochemical systems. Strain Mic1c10 showed a 120% higher current density and an 84% higher methane production rate (16.2 mmol m−2 d−2) than the non-corrosive strain Methanococcus maripaludis S2, which was identified earlier as the best methane producer under the same experimental conditions. Interestingly, strain KA1 also showed a 265% higher current density than strain S2. Deposits at the cathodes were detected and analyzed, which were not described earlier. A comparative genome analysis between the corrosive methanogen and the S2 strain enables new insights into proteins that are involved in enhanced electron transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological-Electrode Interface as the Nexus of Breakthroughs towards Viability of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies)
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