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Updated: May 9, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
Published on: December 29, 2013
Analysis of oxygen reduction and microbial community of air-diffusion biocathode in microbial fuel cells
Zejie Wang1, Yue Zheng, Yong Xiao
1Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, Fujian Province 361021, China.
Abstract:
Microbes play irreplaceable role in oxygen reduction reaction of biocathode in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, air-diffusion biocathode MFCs were set up for accelerating oxygen reduction and microbial community analysis. Linear sweep voltammetry and Tafel curve confirmed the function of cathode biofilm to catalyze oxygen reduction. Microbial community analysis revealed higher diversity and richness of community in plankton than in biofilm. Proteobacteria was the shared predominant phylum in both biofilm and plankton (39.9% and 49.8%) followed by Planctomycetes (29.9%) and Bacteroidetes (13.3%) in biofilm, while Bacteroidetes (28.2%) in plankton. Minor fraction (534, 16.4%) of the total operational taxonomic units (3252) was overlapped demonstrating the disproportionation of bacterial distribution in biofilm and plankton. Pseudomonadales, Rhizobiales and Sphingobacteriales were exoelectrogenic orders in the present study. The research obtained deep insight of microbial community and provided more comprehensive information on uncultured rare bacteria.
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