Microbial community structure elucidates performance of Glyceria maxima plant microbial fuel cell.

Ruud A Timmers,David P B T B Strik,Bert Hamelers,Cees Buisman,Marion Engel,Michael Rothballer,Michael Schloter,Stephan Schulz,Anton Hartmann

doi:10.1007/s00253-012-3894-6

Ruud A Timmers, David P B T B Strik + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-3894-6

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Abstract

The plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a technology in which living plant roots provide electron donor, via rhizodeposition, to a mixed microbial community to generate electricity in a microbial fuel cell. Analysis and localisation of the microbial community is necessary for gaining insight into the competition for electron donor in a PMFC. This paper characterises the anode–rhizosphere bacterial community of a Glyceria maxima (reed mannagrass) PMFC. Electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) were located on the root surfaces, but they were more abundant colonising the graphite granular electrode. Anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria dominated the area where most of the EAB were found, indicating that the current was probably generated via the hydrolysis of cellulose. Due to the presence of oxygen and nitrate, short-chain fatty acid-utilising denitrifiers were the major competitors for the electron donor. Acetate-utilising methanogens played a minor role in the competition for electron donor, probably due to the availability of graphite granules as electron acceptors.

Highlights

The plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a new technology that can potentially provide renewable and sustainable energy
Electricity generation in the PMFC is based on the loss of organic compounds by plant roots (Pinton and Varanini 2007) and oxidation of these organic compounds by electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) (Potter 1911)
The high-current PMFC produced a total of 522 J, and the lowcurrent PMFC produced a total of 124 J

Summary

Introduction

The plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a new technology that can potentially provide renewable and sustainable energy. The PMFC transforms solar energy into electricity through the oxidation of organic compounds originating from photosynthesis (De Schamphelaire et al 2008; Strik et al 2008). In the PMFC, electrons, proton and carbon dioxide are produced by oxidation of organic compounds lost by plant roots in the anode. Several bacterial species are known to produce current in microbial fuel cells (MFC): Shewanella putrefaciens using lactate, pyruvate and formate as electron donor (Kim et al 1999; Park and Kim 2001); Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium beijerinckii, using glucose, starch, lactate and molasses (Niessen et al 2004; Park et al 2001); Geobacter sulfurreducens, using acetate and hydrogen (Bond and Lovley 2002); Rhodoferax ferrireducens, using glucose (Chaudhuri and Lovley 2003); Geobacter metallireducens, using acetate (Min et al 2005) and Rhodopseudomonas palustris, using

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