Long-term open circuit microbial electrosynthesis system promotes methanogenesis

Microbial electrosynthesis(MES) can potentially provide a mean for storing renewable energy surpluses as chemical energy. However, the fluctuating nature of these energy sources may represent a threat to MES, as the microbial communities that develop on the biocathode rely on the continuous existence of a polarized electrode. This work assesses how MES performance, product generation and microbial community evolution are affected by a long-period(6 weeks) power off(open circuit). Acetogenic and H2-producing bacteria activity recovered after reconnection. However, few days later syntrophic acetate oxidation bacteria and H2-consuming methanogens became dominant, producing CH4 as the main product, via electromethanogenesis and the syntrophic interaction between eubacterial and archaeal communities which consume both the acetic acid and the hydrogen present in the cathode environment. Thus,the system proved to be resilient to a long-term power interruption in terms of electroactivity. At the same time, these results demonstrated that the system could be extensively affected in both end product generation and microbial communities.

Microbial Electrosynthesis for Producing Medium Chain Fatty Acids

Microbial electrosynthesis(MES)employs microbial catalysts and electrochemistry to enhance CO_(2)bioconversion to organics with concurrent waste biorefining capability.The aim of this review is to comprehensively discuss the current state of the art and prospects of medium chain fatty acids(MCFAs)production in MES from CO_(2)and organic wastes.Fundamental mechanisms and development of MCFAs production via conventional fermentation are introduced as well.Studies on MCFAs production in MES are summarized,highlighting the strategy of multiple-electron donors(EDs).Challenges for MCFAs production in MES from CO_(2)are presented,and the primary discussions included methanogenesis inhibition,adenosine triphosphate(ATP)limitations of acetogens,and production of limited EDs via solventogenesis.Possible applications of electrochemical approaches to promote the bioconversion of actual waste materials with MCFAs production are analyzed.Finally,future directions are explored,including multi-stage reactions,substrate supply,product extraction,and microbial pathways.

Electrobiocorrosion by microbes without outer-surface cytochromes

Anaerobic microbial corrosion of iron-containing metals causes extensive economic damage.Some microbes are capable of direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer(electrobiocorrosion),but the prevalence of electrobiocorrosion among diverse methanogens and acetogens is poorly understood because of a lack of tools for their genetic manipulation.Previous studies have suggested that respiration with 316L stainless steel as the electron donor is indicative of electrobiocorrosion,because,unlike pure Fe^(0),316L stainless steel does not abiotically generate H_(2) as an intermediary electron carrier.Here,we report that all of the methanogens(Methanosarcina vacuolata,Methanothrix soehngenii,and Methanobacterium strain IM1)and acetogens(Sporomusa ovata and Clostridium ljungdahli)evaluated respired with pure Fe^(0)as the electron donor,but only M.vacuolata,Mx.soehngeni,and S.ovata were capable of stainless steel electrobiocorrosion.The electrobiocorrosive methanogens re-quired acetate as an additional energy source in order to produce methane from stainless steel.Cocultures of S.ovata and Mx.soehngeni demonstrated how acetogens can provide acetate to methanogens during corrosion.Not only was Meth-anobacterium strain IM1 not capable of electrobiocorrosion,but it also did not accept electrons from Geobacter metal-lireducens,an effective electron-donating partner for direct interspecies electron transfer to all methanogens that can directly accept electrons from Fe^(0).The finding that M.vacuolata,Mx.soehngeni,and S.ovata are capable of electrobiocorrosion,despite a lack of the outer-surface c-type cytochromes previously found to be important in other electrobiocorrosive microbes,demonstrates that there are multiple microbial strategies for making electrical contact with Fe^(0).