Zia Ullah, Zeshan Sheikh, Waheed Miran et al.

Environmental Technology & Innovation • 2025

This study investigated the synergistic effects of anodic effluent recirculation and microalgal inoculum concentration on the performance of photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (PMFC) for brewery wastewater treatment. The study was conducted in two operational phases. Phase I compared untreated brewery wastewater (UBW) and anode-treated brewery wastewater (ATBW) as catholytes, while Phase II assessed the impact of varying the initial inoculum concentration of Scenedesmus sp. (250, 500, and 750 mg/L) using ATBW as the catholyte. Results showed that the ATBW system exhibited higher and more stable power output, mainly due to significantly enhanced bioelectrochemical and photosynthetic activity. Compared to UBW, PMFC with ATBW achieved 176% higher average working voltage and 60% higher power density. The ATBW system showed enhanced nutrient and COD removal, and 41.5% higher microalgal biomass than UBW. Increasing the microalgal inoculum concentration improved the overall PMFC performance. PMFC with 750 mg/L inoculum achieved the highest working voltage, biomass, and over 90% removal of all nutrients in cathodic chamber. The highest average biomass productivity of 265 mg/L/d was achieved by the PMFC with a 500 mg/L inoculum, which was 17.7% and 40.3% higher than that of PMFCs with 750 mg/L and 250 mg/L inoculum concentrations, respectively. Microbial analysis revealed diverse electroactive bacteria, including Bacillus and Pseudomonas species, contributing to system efficiency. The findings of this study highlight the potential of PMFCs as an integrated, eco-sustainable technology for brewery wastewater remediation and renewable energy recovery. • Recirculation of anodic effluent to cathode improved voltage stability. • Anode-treated brewery wastewater produced 60% higher power than untreated system. • Higher microalgae inoculum (500, 750 mg/L) enhanced the overall efficiency of system • 750 mg/L algal inoculum achieved the highest voltage and nutrients removal. • Electroactive bacteria ( Bacillus, Pseudomonas ) dominate the microbial community.

Mohd Jahir Khan, Sovik Das, Vandana Vinayak et al.

Chemosphere • 2021

Lin Liu, Seokheun Choi

Lab on a Chip • 2017

A microfluidic lab-on-a-chip system that generates its own power is essential for stand-alone, independent, self-sustainable point-of-care diagnostic devices to work in limited-resource and remote regions. Miniaturized biological solar cells (or micro-BSCs) can be the most suitable power source for those lab-on-a-chip applications because the technique resembles the earth's natural ecosystem - living organisms work in conjunction with non-living components of their environment to create a self-assembling and self-maintaining system. Micro-BSCs can continuously generate electricity from microbial photosynthetic and respiratory activities over day-night cycles, offering a clean and renewable power source with self-sustaining potential. However, the promise of this technology has not been translated into practical applications because of its relatively low power (∼nW cm -2 ) and current short lifetimes (∼a couple of hours). In this work, we enabled high-performance, self-sustaining, long-life micro-BSCs by using fundamental breakthroughs of device architectures and electrode materials. A 3-D biocompatible, conductive, and porous anode demonstrated great microbial biofilm formation and a high rate of bacterial extracellular electron transfer, which led to greater power generation. Furthermore, our micro-BSCs promoted gas exchange to the bacteria through a gas-permeable PDMS membrane in a well-controlled, tightly enclosed micro-chamber, substantially enhancing sustainability. Through photosynthetic reactions of the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 without additional organic fuel, the 90 μL single-chambered bio-solar cell generated a maximum power density of 43.8 μW cm -2 and sustained consistent power production of ∼18.6 μW cm -2 during the day and ∼11.4 μW cm -2 at night for 20 days, which is the highest and longest reported success of any existing micro-scale bio-solar cells.

Zijie Wang, Xiao-Li Yang, Han Xu et al.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy • 2025

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bioelectrochemical technology that has received a lot of attention for its ability to simultaneously enable wastewater treatment and energy generation . For the first time, bibliometrics and network meta-analysis (NMA) have been combined to demonstrate key research topics, hotspots evolution, current challenges, and future directions of MFC. This study is based on the Web of Science core collection database, which collected 9870 papers from 1962 to 2023. The results showed that the hotspots evolution of MFC is mainly concentrated in four directions, including energy production, wastewater treatment , design optimization, and derivative technologies. The research hotspots of MFC in the last decade were systematically described, including diversified energy production, removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes , MFC-based biosensors, anode design , cathode catalyst design, photosynthetic microbial fuel cell, and constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell. Finally, challenges and future directions conducive to the further development of MFC were presented, providing practical insights for researchers aiming to develop and optimize MFC. • Bibliometric analysis and network meta-analysis provide comprehensive insights to MFC. • The optimization strategy of MFC design has received high attention. • Advanced designs for electron mediators, anode and cathode catalysts were ranked. • Challenges and future directions for MFC are put forward.

Naeem Abas, Esmat Kalair, Anam Kalair et al.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy • 2019

Yoong-Sin Oon, Yoong-Ling Oon, Muhammad Ayaz et al.

Communications Earth & Environment • 2025

Photosynthetic microbial fuel cells present an integrated strategy for wastewater treatment, greenhouse gas mitigation and bioenergy recovery. Here we elucidate the bioelectrochemical mechanisms by which external resistance and cathodic configuration regulate nitrogen transformation, carbon dynamics and microalgae-bacteria interactions. A microalgae-based cathode achieved net-negative carbon dioxide flux and approximately 37% lower nitrous oxide emissions than open-circuit systems, corresponding to reduced global warming potential relative to mixed-microbial and abiotic cathodes. This reflected enhanced carbon dioxide fixation and suppression of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Nitrous oxide reduction in the anodic region was attributed to denitrifying bacteria expressing nitrous oxide reductase, supported by electrons from organic matter oxidation. Photosynthesis stimulated nitrification at the cathode, while microalgae assimilated nutrients, improving removal. Lower external resistance enhanced extracellular electron transfer, correlated with elevated pilA and OmcS gene abundance and enrichment of electrogenic genera including Shinella, Geobacter and Pseudomonas. These findings reveal integrated electrochemical–microbial mechanisms facilitating sustainable treatment. Bioelectrochemical interactions between microalgae and bacteria can improve extracellular electron transfer, nitrogen transformation and greenhouse gas mitigation during wastewater treatment in a photosynthetic microbial fuel cell.

Zhangzhang Xie, Cuiyun Yang, Xiao‐Ying Yu et al.

Chemical Engineering Journal • 2024

Indrajeet Singh, Ashutosh Pandey, Sumarlin Shangdiar et al.

Sustainability • 2023

Bioenergy productions from microalgae have received wide attention recently and have a high potential to replace fossil fuels. Moreover, due to the high photosynthetic efficiency, microalgae mass cultivation and scale-up are believed to efficiently reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. This review article explores the potential of microalgae as a reliable and sustainable source of bioenergy feedstock. The current review article contains an in-depth discussion of the various methods of producing energy using microalgae, viz. algal fuel cell (AFC), microbial fuel cell (MFC), bioethanol and biodiesel, and various other applications. This article discussed the different aspects of AFC and MFC, such as fuel cell configurations, reaction mechanisms at electrodes, reactor design factors affecting the efficiencies, and strategies to enhance the efficiencies. Moreover, microalgae cultivation, value-added compounds (pigments, polysaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids), liquid fuel production, limitations, the global scenario of microalgae biomass-based energy, and significant advancements in this field. In a nutshell, this review serves as a valuable resource for identifying, developing, and harnessing the potential of microalgae as a promising biofuel source.

Soumyadeep Bhaduri, Rahul Ghosh, Shubham Kumar et al.

Journal of the Indian Chemical Society • 2025

Katharine J. Thompson, Paul A. Kenward, Kohen W. Bauer et al.

Science Advances • 2019

Banded iron formation (BIF) deposition was the likely result of oxidation of ferrous iron in seawater by either oxygenic photosynthesis or iron-dependent anoxygenic photosynthesis-photoferrotrophy. BIF deposition, however, remains enigmatic because the photosynthetic biomass produced during iron oxidation is conspicuously absent from BIFs. We have addressed this enigma through experiments with photosynthetic bacteria and modeling of biogeochemical cycling in the Archean oceans. Our experiments reveal that, in the presence of silica, photoferrotroph cell surfaces repel iron (oxyhydr)oxides. In silica-rich Precambrian seawater, this repulsion would separate biomass from ferric iron and would lead to large-scale deposition of BIFs lean in organic matter. Excess biomass not deposited with BIF would have deposited in coastal sediments, formed organic-rich shales, and fueled microbial methanogenesis. As a result, the deposition of BIFs by photoferrotrophs would have contributed fluxes of methane to the atmosphere and thus helped to stabilize Earth's climate under a dim early Sun.

Laura Rago, Pierangela Cristiani, Federica Villa et al.

Bioelectrochemistry • 2017

Chamath D.Y. Yahampath Arachchige Don, Sandhya Babel

Journal of Water Process Engineering • 2020

Pranab Jyoti Sarma, Barasa Malakar, Kaustubha Mohanty

SSRN Electronic Journal • 2022

Bilge Hilal Çadırcı

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy • 2018

Kévin Lepot

Earth-Science Reviews • 2020

The Archean era (4 to 2.5 billion years ago, Ga) yielded rocks that include the oldest conclusive traces of life as well as many controversial occurrences. Carbonaceous matter is found in rocks as old as 3.95 Ga, but the oldest (graphitic) forms may be abiogenic. Due to the metamorphism that altered the molecular composition of all Archean organic matter, non-biological carbonaceous compounds such as those that could have formed in seafloor hydrothermal systems are difficult to rule out. Benthic microbial mats as old as 3.47 Ga are supported by the record of organic laminae in stromatolitic (layered) carbonates, in some stromatolitic siliceous sinters, and in some siliciclastic sediments. In these deposits, organic matter rarely preserved fossil cellular structures (e.g., cell walls) or ultrastructures (e.g., external sheaths) and its simple textures are difficult to attribute to either microfossils or coatings of cell-mimicking mineral templates. This distinction will require future nanoscale studies. Filamentous-sheath microfossils occur in 2.52 Ga rocks, and may have altered counterparts as old as 3.47 Ga. Surprisingly large spheres and complex organic lenses occur in rocks as old as 3.22 Ga and ~ 3.4 Ga, respectively, and represent the best candidates for the oldest microfossils. Titaniferous microtubes in volcanic or volcanoclastic rocks inferred as microbial trace fossils have been reevaluated as metamorphic or magmatic textures. Microbially-induced mineralization is supported by CaCO3 nanostructures in 2.72 Ga stromatolites. Sulfides 3.48 Ga and younger bear S-isotope ratios indicative of microbial sulfate reduction. Ferruginous conditions may have fueled primary production via anoxygenic photosynthesis–as suggested by Fe-isotope ratios–possibly as early as 3.77 Ga. Microbial methanogenesis and (likely anaerobic) methane oxidation are indicated by C-isotope ratios as early as 3.0 Ga and ~ 2.72 Ga, respectively. Photosynthetic production of O2 most likely started between 3.2 and 2.8 Ga, i.e. well before the Great Oxidation Event (2.45–2.31 Ga), as indicated by various inorganic tracers of oxidation reactions and consistent with morphology of benthic deposits and evidence for aerobic N metabolism in N-isotope ratios at ~ 2.7 Ga. This picture of a wide diversification of the microbial biosphere during the Archean has largely been derived of bulk-rock geochemistry and petrography, supported by a recent increase in studied sample numbers and in constraints on their environments of deposition. Use of high-resolution microscopy and micro- to nanoscale analyses opens avenues to (re)assess and decipher the most ancient traces of life.

Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Vinod Kumar, Mikhail S. Vlaskin et al.

Journal of Water Process Engineering • 2020

Karine Leblanc, Bernard Quéguiner, Fredéric Diaz et al.

Nature Communications • 2018

Diatoms are one of the major primary producers in the ocean, responsible annually for ~20% of photosynthetically fixed CO 2 on Earth. In oceanic models, they are typically represented as large (>20 µm) microphytoplankton. However, many diatoms belong to the nanophytoplankton (2-20 µm) and a few species even overlap with the picoplanktonic size-class (<2 µm). Due to their minute size and difficulty of detection they are poorly characterized. Here we describe a massive spring bloom of the smallest known diatom (Minidiscus) in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Analysis of Tara Oceans data, together with literature review, reveal a general oversight of the significance of these small diatoms at the global scale. We further evidence that they can reach the seafloor at high sinking rates, implying the need to revise our classical binary vision of pico- and nanoplanktonic cells fueling the microbial loop, while only microphytoplankton sustain secondary trophic levels and carbon export.

Lin Liu, Seokheun Choi

Biosensors and Bioelectronics • 2019

K Iwai, Dang Trang Nguyen, Kozo Taguchi

Journal of the Japan Society of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics • 2019

We fabricated a microbial fuel cell (MFC) which was composed of three parts: a piece of towel paper for membrane, an anode electrode with photosynthetic bacteria biofilm and a cathode electrode coated potassium ferricyanide. The MFC could generate electricity with 20 μl water adding to the dry biofilm anode for activation. We measured repeatedly electricity generation every week using the MFC. This paper studies three points: (1) the dry-surface biofilms of Purple photosynthetic bacteria can generate electricity when activated by water; (2) the bacteria can survive in the condition of dry-surface biofilms for several weeks; (3) carbon nanotube (CNT) improves the performance of the electrodes. As a result, the MFC generated the maximum power density and current density of 2.90 µW/cm2 and 24.1 µA/cm2, respectively.

Anshuman Rai, Vandana Sirotiya, Ankesh Ahirwar et al.

RSC Advances • 2025

In this study, Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB), brilliant green (BG), and rhodamine (Rh) dyes were used to simulate dye-rich wastewater. Adsorption and degradation of these dyes (2 μM, 10 μM, and 30 μM) on diatomite (DE) were evaluated under light (L) and dark (D) conditions. The adsorption of dye-DE composites followed pseudo-second-order kinetics at all concentrations and conditions had R 2 > 0.99, thus showing a good fit. The calculated equilibrium adsorption amount q e,(cal) was coherent with the value of experimental q e,(exp) . The poorest adsorption and photocatalysis occurred at 30 μM, prompting the functionalization of dyes with TiO 2 and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NP(s)). The highest dye degradation efficiencies (DG eff ) for 30 μM dyes were 86.79% (CBB-DE-Fe 3 O 4 , 72 h), 96.10% (BG-DE-TiO 2 , 52 h), and 81.74% (Rh-DE-TiO 2 , 48 h), with Rh-DE-TiO 2 showing the fastest degradation. Functionalized DE-dye (30 μM) nanocomposites were further tested in a photosynthetic microalgae-assisted microbial fuel cell with dye-simulated wastewater at the anode (PMA-MFC-1 with CBB-DE-Fe 3 O 4 , PMA-MFC-2 with BG-DE-TiO 2 and PMA-MFC-3 with Rh-DE-TiO 2 ) and Asterarcys sp. GA4 microalgae at the cathode. In dark anode chambers, PMA-MFC-3 achieved the highest DG eff value of Rh dye as 88.23% and a polarization density of 30.06 mW m -2 , outperforming PMA-MFC-2 with BG dye and PMA-MFC-1 with CBB dye. The molecular identifier analysis of microbes in wastewater at the anode showed the dominance of Sphingobacteria and Proteobacteria in PMA-MFC-3 (Rh-DE-TiO 2 ) and COD removal of 61.36%, highlighting its potential for efficient dye degradation and bioelectricity generation. Furthermore, PMA-MFC-3 simultaneously demonstrated a superior microalgal lipid yield of 3.42 μg g -1 and an algal growth of 8.19 μg g -1 at the cathode.

Adi Kusmayadi, Yoong Kit Leong, Hong‐Wei Yen et al.

International Journal of Energy Research • 2020

The world today is facing a crisis of energy and environmental pollution. Conventional or photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an advanced “green” energy technology that utilizes living microorganisms to convert biochemical or light energy into electricity through metabolic reaction and photosynthesis, offering a potential solution for the above-mentioned crisis. Further incorporating microalgae into MFC, microalgae-microbial fuel cell (mMFC) integrates electricity generation, wastewater treatment, CO2 sequestration and biomass production in a single, self-sustainable technology. This review first describes the fundamentals of MFC as well as its applications in treating domestic, municipal, agricultural and industrial wastewaters. Then, mMFC-based configurations and applications with its advantages compared with MFC are explained in particular, together with the parameters governing its performance. Lastly, the opportunities and challenges involved in the development of mMFCs are also explored.

Linlin Qin, Yu Liu, Yiming Qin et al.

The Science of The Total Environment • 2022

Ankesh Ahirwar, Mohd Jahir Khan, Priyanka Khandelwal et al.

Scientific Reports • 2025

Power generation and recovery of value-added products using microalgae, Haematococcus lacustris is tested in a dual chamber photosynthetic microalgae-assisted microbial fuel cell (PMA-MFCt 1 ). The microalgal cells in conical flask act as control. The performance was compared to another, test PMA-MFCt 2 . The control MFC in second test had electrode wires not connected (PMA-MFC nw ). The PMA-MFCt 1 set had microalgal catholytic media replenished unlike in PMA-MFCt 2 . A comparative PMA 0 -MFC, was used without microalgae and only water as catholyte. The results demonstrated maximum power density (PDmax) of 33.76 mW m -2 in PMA-MFCt 1 , 15.36 mW m -2 in PMA-MFCt 2 and 8.05 mW m -2 in PMA 0 -MFC. The non replenishment of catholytic media in PMA-MFCt 2 set resulted in nutrient limitations, poor photosynthesis, and disrupted redox reactions. Further lowest PDmax in PMA 0 -MFC proves that microalgae are excellent source of free nascent oxygen required for redox reaction. Taxonomic identity of microbes at the anode via 16 S rRNA showed the dominance of catalytic microbes mainly Proteobacteria. The different kinds of carotenoids from microalgae were estimated by UV-Vis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The microalgal growth, evaluated in terms of biomass dry weight (DW), was 118 mg L -1 , after 40 days of PMA-MFCt 1 operation, which was lesser than in control (conical flask) 123 mg L -1 . The pigments including total chlorophyll (a + b), and total carotenoids were 699.7 µg g -1 and 224.6 µg g -1 , respectively, on day 16. Microalgal performance in PMA-MFCt 2 and its control (PMA-MFC nw ) was 10% and 32.52% inferior than in PMA-MFCt 1 and its control. The continuous replenishment of media in PMA-MFCt 1 maintained microalgal cells in continuous state of multiplication and photosynthesis resulting into higher bioelectricity generation and bioproducts than PMA-MFCt 2 , and PMA-MFC nw .

Linlin Qin, Yiming Qin, Na Cui et al.

Chemical Engineering Journal • 2024

Sahar Khodadi, Abdolreza Karbassi, Omid Tavakoli et al.

International Microbiology • 2023

Feng-Jen Chu, Chia-Ying Sie, Terng‐Jou Wan et al.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy • 2020

Shiyu Liu, Rongchang Wang, Cuixiang Ma et al.

Chemical Engineering Journal • 2019

Zia Ullah, Zeshan Sheikh, Waqas Qamar Zaman et al.

Journal of Water Process Engineering • 2023

Seyedeh Sahar Mousavi Farajzadeh, Seyed Morteza Zamir

Desalination • 2025

Chamath D.Y. Yahampath Arachchige Don, Sandhya Babel

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy • 2020

Safa H. Fadhil, Zainab Z. Ismail

Current Microbiology • 2023

Marcin Zieliński, Magda Dudek, Łukasz Barczak et al.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Environmental Science and Applications, ICESA ... • 2024

Johanna Güttler, Sophie-Jean Kennedy, Veerle M. Luimstra et al.

New Zealand Journal of Botany • 2020

Microbial electrogenic behaviour is well characterised in prokaryotes, including the exo-electrogenic soil bacteria (‘metal breathers’) and cyanobacteria, some of which can perform a light-induced donation of electrons to electrochemical devices. Two main methods of electron donation are proposed in these organisms; mobile electron shuttles (redox mediators), and direct electron transport where redox active moieties embedded in the bounding membrane of the organisms provide electrical connection. In this study a photosynthetic microbial fuel cell was used to investigate the mechanism of electron donation from six benthic cyanobacteria to an external electrode. There was no evidence of mobile electron shuttles donating electrons to the bio-electrochemical system using electrochemical analysis by linear sweep voltammetry in any of the species studied. This indicates the possibility that all the benthic species investigated may use direct electron transport as a mechanism of electron donation, which is better recognised in single-celled planktonic species.

M. A. Hossain, M. Shahinuzzaman, Abdur Rahim et al.

Journal of Applied Electrochemistry • 2025

Chamath D.Y. Yahampath Arachchige Don, Sandhya Babel

Bioresource Technology Reports • 2021

Alessandra Colombo, Stefania Marzorati, Giorgio Lucchini et al.

Bioresource Technology • 2017

Ying Zhang, Yingying Zhao, Minghua Zhou

Environmental Science and Pollution Research • 2019

Won Gyeong Park, Minsoo P. Kim, Shuwei Li et al.

Sustainable Energy & Fuels • 2024

A photosynthetic microbial fuel cell produces higher power density and simultaneously reuptakes CO 2 produced from organic decomposition.

S. Arun, Surjith Ramasamy, Kannan Pakshirajan et al.

Journal of Environmental Management • 2021

Kalimuthu Jawaharraj, Pawan Sigdel, Zhengrong Gu et al.

Environmental Research • 2022