Plant endophytic bacteria: A potential resource pool of electroactive micro-organisms

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Biotechnology
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Electroactive microorganisms are crucial for microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance.
• Plant endophytes represent an underexplored reservoir of microbial resources.
• Identifying novel electroactive microbes is essential for advancing MFC technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and evaluate the electrochemical activity of endophytic bacteria from plant tissues.
• To explore the potential of plant endophytes as a source for electricity-generating microorganisms.
• To characterize the microbial communities in MFC anodes inoculated with plant tissues.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of endophytic bacteria from Angelica and Sweet Potato plant tissues.
• Evaluation of electricity-producing activity using microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
• High-throughput sequencing for determining microbial species distribution in MFC anodes.

Main Results:

• Seventeen out of 26 isolated bacterial strains exhibited electrochemical activity.
• Dominant genera identified in MFC anodes included Bacillus, Pleomorphomonas, Rahnella, Shinella, Paenibacillus, and Staphylococcus.
• The strain Staphylococcus succinus subsp. succinus H6 demonstrated significant electrogenerating activity.

Conclusions:

• Plant endophytes harbor electroactive bacteria with potential for MFC applications.
• This study expands the resource pool of electricity-producing microorganisms.
• The findings underscore the significance of exploring plant endophyte diversity for bioenergy.