Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices that generate electricity by exploiting the metabolic processes of electrogenic bacteria. These systems provide a renewable energy source and serve as an innovative method for treating organic waste, such as wastewater.A typical MFC consists of two chambers: an anoxic (oxygen-free) compartment that houses the bacteria and an oxic (oxygen-rich) compartment that contains oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Many MFCs use proton...

Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation

Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation

Cell separation was first achieved in 1964 by S. H. Seal, who separated large tumor cells from the smaller blood cells using filtration. Two years later, Pohl and Hawk performed experiments on how cells respond differently to a nonuniform electric field based on the cell type. Such observations were the inception of cell separation methods, which allow isolating a single cell type from a heterogeneous sample.

Biofuels

Biofuels

The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.

Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to physical or...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Two-stage illumination with various lights regulate microalgal metabolism for enhanced pollutant removal and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production from high-salinity food-processing wastewater.

Water research·2026

Same author

Integrated On-Site Electrocatalytic H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Synthesis and Membrane Catalysis for Sustainable High-Salinity Wastewater Treatment.

Environmental science & technology·2026

Same author

Shift of nitrogen metabolism drives the evolution of multidrug resistance in wastewater microbiomes under long-term fluoride stress.

Water research·2026

Same author

Non-photosynthetic microorganisms drive the transformation of bioinert emerging contaminants through photoinduced singlet oxygen production.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026

Same author

Membrane perturbation by the last-resort antibiotic polymyxin B drives biphasic regulation of horizontal gene transfer.

The ISME journal·2026

Same author

Bioinspired Allosteric Peroxidase-like Enzyme with Dynamic 3D Catalytic Centers for Advanced Water Treatment.

Environmental science & technology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Recent advances in the separators for microbial fuel cells.

Wen-Wei Li¹, Guo-Ping Sheng, Xian-Wei Liu

¹Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.

Bioresource Technology

|April 13, 2010

Summary

This review compares microbial fuel cell (MFC) separators, highlighting advancements in materials and configurations. Despite progress, challenges like proton transfer limitation and oxygen leakage persist, hindering practical MFC applications.

More Related Videos

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Published on: January 22, 2015

Single Step Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Large-Volume Samples with a Bifurcated A4F Microfluidic Device

Single Step Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Large-Volume Samples with a Bifurcated A4F Microfluidic Device

Published on: February 2, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Published on: January 22, 2015

Single Step Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Large-Volume Samples with a Bifurcated A4F Microfluidic Device

Single Step Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Large-Volume Samples with a Bifurcated A4F Microfluidic Device

Published on: February 2, 2024

Area of Science:

Electrochemistry
Materials Science
Environmental Engineering

Background:

Separators are crucial components in microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
Current separators face limitations including proton transfer inefficiency and oxygen leakage.
These issues increase internal resistance and reduce overall MFC performance, impeding widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review and compare various separator materials for MFCs.
To summarize recent advancements in separator configurations, including separator electrode assemblies.
To provide an outlook on future development and scaling-up of MFC separators.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of diverse separator materials (e.g., ion exchange membranes, porous fabrics, salt bridges).
Review of recent progress in separator configurations and integrated designs.
Identification of persistent challenges and future research directions.

Main Results:

Various separator types (cation/anion exchange membranes, MF/UF membranes, fabrics, J-Cloth, salt bridges) were evaluated.
Separator electrode assemblies represent a significant advancement in configuration.
Despite improvements, limitations in proton transfer and oxygen management remain key challenges.

Conclusions:

Recent advances in MFC separator materials and configurations offer promising solutions.
Overcoming proton transfer limitations and oxygen leakage is critical for enhanced MFC performance.
Further development and scaling-up strategies are needed for practical MFC application.