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Light-Controlled Fermentations for Microbial Chemical and Protein Production
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Electro-stimulated microbial factory for value added product synthesis
Shantonu Roy1, Andrea Schievano2, Deepak Pant3
1Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
Bioresource Technology
|April 2, 2016
Summary
Bioelectrochemical systems harness bacterial charge transfer for applications like electricity generation and wastewater treatment. Understanding electron transport mechanisms is key to optimizing these systems and enabling carbon dioxide sequestration.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Electrochemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) leverage the charge transfer interplay between bacteria and electrodes.
- These systems offer diverse applications including electricity generation, wastewater treatment, bioremediation, and value-added product synthesis.
- Electrogenic bacteria possess unique external electron transport systems crucial for BES functionality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the electron transport mechanisms in electroactive bacteria.
- To investigate the coupling of electron transport with carbon metabolism for carbon dioxide sequestration.
- To highlight the importance of efficient bioreactor design for enhanced BES productivity.
Main Methods:
- Identification and characterization of electroactive bacteria.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms involved in external electron transport (e.g., outer membrane cytochromes, Mtr-complex, Ech-complex, Rnf complex).
- Review of bioreactor design principles for microbial cell retention, charge dissipation, separators, and product recovery.
Main Results:
- Electrogenic bacteria utilize various cellular and subcellular molecules for electron transport.
- Key molecular players include outer membrane cytochromes, Mtr-complex, and Ech-complex.
- Cytochrome-independent electroactive bacteria employ the Rnf complex for electron transport.
- Efficient bioreactor design is critical for optimizing BES performance.
Conclusions:
- Understanding bacterial electron transport is vital for advancing bioelectrochemical systems.
- Coupling electron transport with carbon metabolism presents a novel strategy for CO2 sequestration.
- Optimized bioreactor design is essential for maximizing productivity in BES applications.
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