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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Translating Extracellular Electron Transfer Activities with Organic Electrochemical Transistors
Published on: January 31, 2025
Let's chat: Communication between electroactive microorganisms
Catarina M Paquete1, Miriam A Rosenbaum2, Lluís Bañeras3
1Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.
Electroactive microorganisms facilitate electron exchange for biotechnologies like electrosynthesis and bioenergy. This review explores microbial interactions in biofilms within bioelectrochemical systems (BES) and identifies knowledge gaps for future tech development.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Electrochemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Electroactive microorganisms (EM) exchange extracellular electrons with their environment.
- This capability enables applications in sustainable chemical production, bioenergy, bioelectronics, and wastewater treatment.
- EM are crucial for environmental bioremediation, influencing process efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on microbial interactions facilitating communication in electroactive biofilms on electrodes.
- To identify knowledge gaps critical for advancing bioelectrochemical systems (BES) technologies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on microbial interactions in electroactive biofilms.
- Analysis of communication mechanisms within biofilms on electrode surfaces.
- Identification of current limitations and future research directions in BES.
Main Results:
- Microbial interactions and communication are key to biofilm function on electrodes in BES.
- Understanding these interactions is vital for optimizing BES performance.
- Several knowledge gaps exist regarding the precise mechanisms of interspecies electron transfer and biofilm architecture.
Conclusions:
- Effective microbial communication within biofilms is essential for harnessing the potential of electroactive microorganisms in BES.
- Further research is needed to elucidate these interactions for novel biotechnological applications.
- Addressing identified knowledge gaps will accelerate the development of advanced BES technologies.
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