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Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site
Published on: July 24, 2018
Cable Bacteria Take a New Breath Using Long-Distance Electricity
1Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE- 2610 Wilrijk (Antwerp), Belgium; Department of Biotechnology, Technical University Delft, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Recently, a new group of multicellular microorganisms was discovered, called 'cable bacteria', which are capable of generating and mediating electrical currents across centimetre-scale distances. By transporting electrons from cell to cell, cable bacteria can harvest electron donors and electron acceptors that are widely separated in space, thus providing them with a competitive advantage for survival in aquatic sediments. The underlying process of long-distance electron transport challenges some long-held ideas about the energy metabolism of multicellular organisms and entails a whole new type of electrical cooperation between cells. This review summarizes the current knowledge about these intriguing multicellular bacteria.
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