Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
Published on: December 29, 2013
Metabolite analysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum: fermentation in a microbial fuel cell
Amethist S Finch1, Timothy D Mackie, Christian J Sund
1US Army Research Laboratory, Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, Adelphi, MD 20783, United States.
Abstract:
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were used to monitor metabolism changes in Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentations. When MFCs were inoculated with C. acetobutylicum, they generated a unique voltage output pattern where two distinct voltage peaks occurred over a weeklong period. This result was markedly different to previously studied organisms which usually generate one sustained voltage peak. Analysis of the fermentation products indicated that the dual voltage peaks correlated with glucose metabolism. The first voltage peak correlated with acidogenic metabolism (acetate and butyrate production) and the second peak with solventogenic metabolism (acetone and butanol production). This demonstrates that MFCs can be applied as a novel tool to monitor the shift from acid production to solvent production in C. acetobutylicum.
More Related Videos
14:42Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Refractive Index or Mass Spectrometric Detection for Metabolite Profiling in Lysate-based Cell-free Systems
Published on: September 23, 2021
06:17Medium Preparation for the Cultivation of Microorganisms under Strictly Anaerobic/Anoxic Conditions
Published on: August 15, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Fuel Cells
Microbes and Methanogenesis
Lipid Catabolism
Microbial Fermentation
Amino Acid Catabolism
Fates of Pyruvate
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...