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Segregation of the Anodic Microbial Communities in a Microbial Fuel Cell Cascade.
Douglas M Hodgson1, Ann Smith2, Sonal Dahale1
1Department of Microbial and Cellular Sciences, University of Surrey Guildford, UK.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|June 1, 2016
Summary
Microbial communities in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) shift from fermentative to respiratory bacteria along a cascade, enhancing energy conversion. This reveals metabolic interactions crucial for complex substrate degradation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bioelectrochemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Microbial metabolic interactions are key to degrading complex organic matter and nutrient cycling.
- Understanding these interactions is vital for controlling microbial processes, including in microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
- MFCs convert chemical energy into electrical energy using microbial metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze microbial community structure evolution in a cascade of MFCs.
- To investigate metabolic shifts and interactions within these communities.
- To assess the impact of community structure on MFC performance.
Main Methods:
- Cultivation of microbial communities in a cascade of MFCs with complex medium.
- Analysis of anodic microbial community composition using sequencing.
- Metabolite analysis of anodic suspensions.
- Monitoring of power output in MFCs.
Main Results:
- Distinct microbial communities developed in MFC anodes along the cascade.
- A decrease in fermentative bacteria and an increase in respiratory bacteria were observed.
- Metabolic shifts confirmed community segregation, indicating interactions between fermentative and respiratory populations.
- Increased power output correlated with these community and metabolic changes.
Conclusions:
- A metabolic interaction mechanism exists between fermentative and electrogenic bacteria in MFC cascades.
- This system facilitates the degradation of complex substrates and enhances MFC power output.
- The experimental setup is valuable for studying microbial metabolic interactions and optimizing bioreactor processes.
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