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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Chemical Gardens as Flow-through Reactors Simulating Natural Hydrothermal Systems
Published on: November 18, 2015
Specific enrichment of hyperthermophilic electroactive Archaea from deep-sea hydrothermal vent on electrically
Guillaume Pillot1, Eléonore Frouin1, Emilie Pasero1
1Aix Marseille Université, IRD, Université de Toulon, CNRS, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France.
Abstract:
While more and more investigations are done to study hyperthermophilic exoelectrogenic communities from environments, none have been performed yet on deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Samples of black smoker chimney from Rainbow site on the Atlantic mid-oceanic ridge have been harvested for enriching exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells under hyperthermophilic (80 °C) condition. Two enrichments were performed in a BioElectrochemical System specially designed: one from direct inoculation of crushed chimney and the other one from inoculation of a pre-cultivation on iron (III) oxide. In both experiments, a current production was observed from 2.4 A/m2 to 5.8 A/m2 with a set anode potential of -0.110 V vs Ag/AgCl. Taxonomic affiliation of the exoelectrogen communities obtained on the electrode exhibited a specific enrichment of Archaea belonging to Thermococcales and Archeoglobales orders, even when both inocula were dominated by Bacteria.
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