Research Library
Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
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Advanced Materials • 2017
, a fivefold improvement over the best previous comparable devices under standard illumination conditions. Photocurrent generation is enhanced by directional energy transfer through extended layers of light-harvesting complexes, mimicking the modular antenna/transducer architecture of natural photosystems, and by metastable radical pair formation when photovoltaic reaction centers are embedded throughout light-harvesting regions of the device.
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Carbon Research • 2022
Abstract Soil health is a key factor for the global food security. One of the main bottlenecks for the efficient utilization of farmland soil is the accumulation of allelochemicals excreted by plant roots, leached and volatilized from plants, and released during the decomposition of plant residues. The negative impacts derived from allelochemicals include: decreasing soil fertility, breaking the balance of soil microbial community, reducing seed germination rate and crop yield, and interfering with the growth of neighboring or successive plants. Recently, biochar, a soil amendment with low cost and high performance, is extensively studied on its functions and effects on farmland systems. In this review, we focused on the potential role of biochar in controlling the environmental fate and risk of allelochemicals in soils. The source and potential toxicity of allelochemicals in farmland and the deficiencies in current methods for alleviating the allelopathy were summarized first, followed by the discussion on their sorption and degradation by biochar as well as the impact of biochar properties on the performance and mechanism. At the same time, the generation of allelochemicals regulated by biochar through improving plant growth conditions was analyzed. The modification of biochar for alleviating the allelopathy and then overcoming the obstacles of agricultural production was also addressed. Future research directions, such as targeted biochar production, the interactions between different allelochemicals and biochar investigated by simulations and modeling, negative effects and stability of biochar or modified biochar, were then proposed. This review will provide useful theoretical and technical supports for targeted biochar applications in soils with allelopathy. Graphical abstract
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Journal of Materials Chemistry A • 2020
Left image is the relationship for the overpotential for water dissociation as a function of bipolar junction electric field whereas the right image presents micrographs and the procedure to make bipolar membranes with micropatterned interfaces.
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Sensors • 2023
The health and integrity of our water sources are vital for the existence of all forms of life. However, with the growth in population and anthropogenic activities, the quality of water is being impacted globally, particularly due to a widespread problem of nitrate contamination that poses numerous health risks. To address this issue, investigations into various detection methods for the development of in situ real-time monitoring devices have attracted the attention of many researchers. Among the most prominent detection methods are chromatography, colorimetry, electrochemistry, and spectroscopy. While all these methods have their pros and cons, electrochemical and optical methods have emerged as robust and efficient techniques that offer cost-effective, accurate, sensitive, and reliable measurements. This review provides an overview of techniques that are ideal for field-deployable nitrate sensing applications, with an emphasis on electrochemical and optical detection methods. It discusses the underlying principles, recent advances, and various measurement techniques. Additionally, the review explores the current developments in real-time nitrate sensors and discusses the challenges of real-time implementation.
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Energy • 2015
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Journal of Power Sources • 2022
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Process Biochemistry • 2018
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health • 2022
Boron overabundance in aquatic environment raises severe concerns about the environment and human health because it is toxic to various crops and induces many human and animal diseases with long-term consequences. In response to the boron pollution of water resources and the difficulty of eliminating boron from water for production and living purposes, this article summarizes the progress in research on boron removal technology, addressing the following aspects: (1) the reasons for the difficulty of removing boron from water (boron chemistry); (2) ecological/biological toxicity and established regulations; (3) analysis of different existing processes (membrane processes, resin, adsorption, chemical precipitation, (electric) coagulation, extraction, and combined methods) in terms of their mechanisms, effectiveness, and limitations; (4) prospects for future studies and possible improvements in applicability and recyclability. The focus of this paper is thus to provide a comprehensive summary of reported deboronation processes to date, which will definitely identify directions for the development of boron removal technology in the future.
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Materials • 2022
NPs was estimated to be 170 CFU/100 mL and 10 CFU/100 mL, respectively, resulting in bacterial growth inhibition of 94.12%.
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Microorganisms • 2021
, whose abundance was positively correlated with inoculation, and improved the transformation of organic nitrogen into inorganic nitrogen through the promotion of ammonification. Initial colonization by PGPR in the rhizosphere affected the rhizobacterial community composition throughout the plant life cycle. Network analysis indicated that PGPR had species-dependent effects on niche competition in the rhizosphere. These results provide a better understanding of PGPR-plant-rhizobacteria interactions, which is necessary to develop the application of PGPR.
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Environmental Science & Technology • 2015
There is increasing interest in extracellular electron transfer (EET) from organisms to receptors, particularly in anaerobic biofilms at mineral surfaces. Less attention has been given to EET by planktonic organisms in oxic environments where extracellular electron generation and transport might be expected to be of limited consequence. In this study, the EET activity of the photosynthetic marine raphidophyte, Chattonella marina, was examined using a mediatorless photosynthetic microbial fuel cell with results showing positive light response. Electron output by organisms present in cell suspension was substantially higher than those present in biofilms at the electrode surface. Indeed, current generation under light illumination of the C. marina suspension continued even when contact between the organisms and the electrodes was prevented by dialysis membrane, suggesting that soluble electron carriers secreted by C. marina were facilitating the EET process. Cyclic voltammetry measurements of the cell-free exudate showed redox peaks in the range of 0.1-0.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl), confirming that redox active species were present in the cell suspension. Facilitation of electron transfer from the planktonic organism to the anode by endogenous redox-active exudates appears to be critical to current generation. The ability of these exudates to remain in their reduced state in the presence of oxygen is possibly a function of the spin-restricted nature of oxygen-mediated exudate oxidation. Quantification of the EET processes operating in this planktonic system assists in understanding the means and extent to which C. marina induces redox transformations in the external medium with these transformations presumably of benefit to the survival of this organism, potentially including facilitation of iron uptake and induction of toxicity to other organisms.
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Journal of Water Process Engineering • 2022
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Scientific Reports • 2015
Microorganisms almost always exist as mixed communities in nature. While the significance of microbial community activities is well appreciated, a thorough understanding about how microbial communities respond to environmental perturbations has not yet been achieved. Here we have used a combination of metagenomic, genome binning, and stimulus-induced metatranscriptomic approaches to estimate the metabolic network and stimuli-induced metabolic switches existing in a complex microbial biofilm that was producing electrical current via extracellular electron transfer (EET) to a solid electrode surface. Two stimuli were employed: to increase EET and to stop EET. An analysis of cell activity marker genes after stimuli exposure revealed that only two strains within eleven binned genomes had strong transcriptional responses to increased EET rates, with one responding positively and the other responding negatively. Potential metabolic switches between eleven dominant members were mainly observed for acetate, hydrogen, and ethanol metabolisms. These results have enabled the estimation of a multi-species metabolic network and the associated short-term responses to EET stimuli that induce changes to metabolic flow and cooperative or competitive microbial interactions. This systematic meta-omics approach represents a next step towards understanding complex microbial roles within a community and how community members respond to specific environmental stimuli.
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ChemElectroChem • 2019
Abstract Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) can efficiently convert CO 2 into valuable chemicals. A biocathode, which plays central role in MES process, is expected to have very high surface area and catalytic activity to derive the cathodic reaction flawlessly. In this study, a highly porous bimetallic Fe x MnO y ( x =1, 2 and y =3, 4) microsphere was synthesized and applied as cathode catalyst in a single chamber MES. MES having Fe x MnO y exhibited higher net acetate production rate (204 mM/m 2 d) and coulombic efficiency (58 %) than the MES without catalyst (180 mM/m 2 d and 34 %). The excellent performance of MES with Fe x MnO y was attributed to the high Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area (around 278 m 2 /g) with rough surface and efficient electron transfer from cathode to microorganism promoted by Fe x MnO y complex. The cathode with Fe x MnO y reduced charge transfer resistance by ∼70 % and enhanced the exchange current density by 7.2‐times compared to plain cathode. This study suggests that Fe x MnO y can be used as the highly efficient and low‐cost catalyst on cathode of scaled up MESs.
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Water Research • 2023
-based catalysts to the visible light range, but also provides a chemical-free method to effectively degrade micropollutants.
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Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology • 2022
The electrochemical process of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is used to drive the metabolism of electroactive microorganisms for the production of valuable chemicals and fuels. MES combines the advantages of electrochemistry, engineering, and microbiology and offers alternative production processes based on renewable raw materials and regenerative energies. In addition to the reactor concept and electrode design, the biocatalysts used have a significant influence on the performance of MES. Thus, pure and mixed cultures can be used as biocatalysts. By using mixed cultures, interactions between organisms, such as the direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) or syntrophic interactions, influence the performance in terms of productivity and the product range of MES. This review focuses on the comparison of pure and mixed cultures in microbial electrosynthesis. The performance indicators, such as productivities and coulombic efficiencies (CEs), for both procedural methods are discussed. Typical products in MES are methane and acetate, therefore these processes are the focus of this review. In general, most studies used mixed cultures as biocatalyst, as more advanced performance of mixed cultures has been seen for both products. When comparing pure and mixed cultures in equivalent experimental setups a 3-fold higher methane and a nearly 2-fold higher acetate production rate can be achieved in mixed cultures. However, studies of pure culture MES for methane production have shown some improvement through reactor optimization and operational mode reaching similar performance indicators as mixed culture MES. Overall, the review gives an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of using pure or mixed cultures in MES. KEY POINTS: • Undefined mixed cultures dominate as inoculums for the MES of methane and acetate, which comprise a high potential of improvement • Under similar conditions, mixed cultures outperform pure cultures in MES • Understanding the role of single species in mixed culture MES is essential for future industrial applications.
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Molecules • 2019
and the corresponding biofilms under 980 nm irradiation, indicating a high application prospect in the treatment of periodontal diseases.
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The Science of The Total Environment • 2020
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International Journal of Hydrogen Energy • 2015
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Frontiers in Microbiology • 2021
sp. nov. are proposed, respectively.
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Frontiers in Plant Science • 2022
and produce oxygen beckons us to develop this approach. On the other hand, the need to use physiological conditions, the sensitivity to photoinhibition as well as other abiotic stresses, and the requirement to extract electrons from the system are challenging. In this review, we describe the principles and methods of the different kinds of BPECs that use natural photosynthesis, with an emphasis on BPECs containing living oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. We start with a brief summary of BPECs that use purified photosynthetic complexes. This strategy has produced high-efficiency BPECs. However, the lifetimes of operation of these BPECs are limited, and the preparation is laborious and expensive. We then describe the use of thylakoid membranes in BPECs which requires less effort and usually produces high currents but still suffers from the lack of ability to self-repair damage caused by photoinhibition. This obstacle of the utilization of photosynthetic systems can be significantly reduced by using intact living organisms in the BPEC. We thus describe here progress in developing BPECs that make use of cyanobacteria, green algae, seaweeds and higher plants. Finally, we discuss the future challenges of producing high and longtime operating BPECs for practical use.
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health • 2019
strain GL6 has high denitrification potential for deep improvement of effluent quality.
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Nanotechnology • 2018
Bioelectronic systems derived from peptides and proteins are of particular interest for fabricating novel flexible, biocompatible and bioactive devices. These synthetic or recombinant systems designed for mediating electron transport often mimic the proteinaceous appendages of naturally occurring electroactive bacteria. Drawing inspiration from such conductive proteins with a high content of aromatic residues, we have engineered a fibrous protein scaffold, curli fibers produced by Escherichia coli bacteria, to enable long-range electron transport. We report the genetic engineering and characterization of curli fibers containing aromatic residues of different nature, with defined spatial positioning, and with varying content on single self-assembling CsgA curli subunits. Our results demonstrate the impressive versatility of the CsgA protein for genetically engineering protein-based materials with new functions. Through a scalable purification process, we show that macroscopic gels and films can be produced, with engineered thin films exhibiting a greater conductivity compared with wild-type curli films. We anticipate that this engineered conductive scaffold, and our approach that combines computational modeling, protein engineering, and biosynthetic manufacture will contribute to the improvement of a range of useful bio-hybrid technologies.
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Desalination and Water Treatment • 2017
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SN Applied Sciences • 2020
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Chemical Engineering Journal • 2022
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Journal of Membrane Science • 2015
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Desalination • 2022
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iMeta • 2023
< 0.05). Furthermore, AMF significantly affected root metabolism by upregulating 739 metabolites, with flavonoids being the main factor causing microbiome variation. The structural equation model and variance partial analysis revealed that the superposition of the root metabolites, microbial, and soil exhibited the maximum explanation rate for Cd migration reduction (42.4%), and the microbial model had the highest single explanation rate (15.5%). Thus, the AMF in the rhizosphere microenvironment can regulate metabolite-soil-microbial interactions, reducing Cd migration. In summary, the study provides a new scientific explanation for how AMF improves plant Cd tolerance and offers a sustainable solution that could benefit both the environment and human health.
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Angewandte Chemie International Edition • 2018
photobioelectrochemical cell reaching a high open-circuit voltage of about 1 V under illumination.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY • 2016
Biocathode communities are of interest for a variety of applications, including electrosynthesis, bioremediation, and biosensors, yet much remains to be understood about the biological processes that occur to enable these communities to grow. One major difficulty in understanding these communities is that the critical autotrophic organisms are difficult to cultivate. An uncultivated, electroautotrophic bacterium previously identified as an uncultivated member of the family Chromatiaceae appears to be a key organism in an autotrophic biocathode microbial community. Metagenomic, metaproteomic and metatranscriptomic characterization of this community indicates that there is likely a single organism that utilizes electrons from the cathode to fix CO2, yet this organism has not been obtained in pure culture. Fluorescence in situ hybridization reveals that the organism grows as rod-shaped cells approximately 1.8 × 0.6 µm, and forms large clumps on the cathode. The genomic DNA G+C content was 59.2 mol%. Here we identify the key features of this organism and propose 'Candidatus Tenderia electrophaga', within the Gammaproteobacteria on the basis of low nucleotide and predicted protein sequence identity to known members of the orders Chromatiales and Thiotrichales.
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Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety • 2018
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Scientific Reports • 2015
Mutualistic interactions in planktonic microbial communities have been extensively studied. However, our understanding on mutualistic communities consisting of co-existing planktonic cells and biofilms is limited. Here, we report a planktonic cells-biofilm mutualistic system established by the fermentative bacterium Escherichia coli and the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis in a bioelectrochemical device, where planktonic cells in the anode media interact with the biofilms on the electrode. Our results show that the transfer of formate is the key mechanism in this mutualistic system. More importantly, we demonstrate that the relative distribution of E. coli and S. oneidensis in the liquid media and biofilm is likely driven by their metabolic functions towards an optimum communal metabolism in the bioelectrochemical device. RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic analyses of the interacting organisms in the mutualistic system potentially reveal differential expression of genes involved in extracellular electron transfer pathways in both species in the planktonic cultures and biofilms.
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Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology • 2016
Optimal supply of trace elements (TE) is a prerequisite for microbial growth and activity in anaerobic digestion (AD) bioprocesses. However, the required concentrations and ratios of essential TE for AD biotechnologies strongly depend on prevailing operating conditions as well as feedstock composition. Furthermore, TE in AD bioreactors undergo complex physicochemical reactions and may be present as free ions, complex bound or as precipitates depending on pH, or on the presence of sulfur compounds or organic macromolecules. To overcome TE deficiency, various commercial mineral products are typically applied to AD processes. The addition of heavy metals poses the risk of overdosing operating systems, which may be toxic to microbial consortia and ultimately the environment. Adequate supplementation, therefore, requires appropriate knowledge not only about the composition, but also on the speciation and bioavailability of TE. However, very little is yet fully understood on this specific issue. Evaluations of TE typically only include the measurement of total TE concentrations but do not consider the chemical forms in which TE exist. Thus detailed information on bioavailability and potential toxicity cannot be provided. This review provides an overview of the state of the art in approaches to determine bioavailable TE in anaerobic bioprocesses, including sequential fractionation and speciation techniques. Critical aspects and considerations, including with respect to sampling and analytical procedures, as well as mathematical modeling, are examined. The approaches discussed in this review are based on our experiences and on previously published studies in the context of the “COST Action 1302: European Network on Ecological Roles of Trace Metals in Anaerobic Biotechnologies.”
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Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination • 2018
Abstract China, especially its coastal provinces, is facing water shortage issues, restricting its further development. To tackle the serious imbalance between water resource supply and demand, China has strived to develop alternative water resources to combat the water crisis, among which seawater desalination plays a major role. This paper reviews the current situation of utilization of desalinated seawater in China and includes: (1) a history of seawater desalination classified into three phases; (2) analysis of utilization sectors, geographic distribution and employed technologies of the desalination plants; (3) summaries of the policies, regulations and technological standards governing seawater desalination; (4) proposals for existing problems and some suggested measures regarding the current condition of seawater desalination; and (5) the seawater desalination programs in Tianjin and Zhoushan are presented as two representative examples. China's seawater desalination experience can provide some guidance for other countries facing similar water resource situations.
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Nature Communications • 2019
.
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Frontiers in Microbiology • 2020
was found to induce an increase in specific secretory IgA through FomA.
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ACS Environmental Au • 2021
production rate and larger MEC volume remains and still requires more investigation of novel MEC cathode catalysts and configurations to offer a solution.
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Water • 2020
The review aims to report the state-of-the-art constructed wetlands (CW) in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region not limited to national and local conditions. The aim is with a broader view, to bring updated and sufficient information, to facilitate the use of the CW technology in the different countries of LAC. Thus, 520 experiences extracted from the 169 reviewed documents in 20 countries were analyzed. According to the data, horizontal subsurface flow wetlands are the most reported CW in the region (62%), the second most common CW technology in the region is free water surface CW (17%), then vertical flow systems (9%), followed by intensified constructed wetlands (8%), and finally French systems (4%). The performance for nutrient removal is analyzed, finding that the mean of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total Phosphorous (TP) removal efficiencies varies from 65% to 83%, 55% to 72%, and 30% to 84%, respectively. The results suggest a generally good performance for COD and TN removal, but a low performance for TP removal. Regarding plant species used for CWs, 114 different plant species were reported, being until now the most extensive report about plant species used in CWs in the LAC region.
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Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal • 2020
The growing interest on sustainable biotechnological processes for the production of energy and industrial relevant organic compounds have increased the discovery of electroactive organisms (i.e. organisms that are able to exchange electrons with an electrode) and the characterization of their extracellular electron transfer mechanisms. While most of the knowledge on extracellular electron transfer processes came from studies on Gram-negative bacteria, less is known about the processes performed by Gram-positive bacteria. In contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria lack an outer-membrane and contain a thick cell wall, which were thought to prevent extracellular electron transfer. However, in the last decade, an increased number of Gram-positive bacteria have been found to perform extracellular electron transfer, and exchange electrons with an electrode. In this mini-review the current knowledge on the extracellular electron transfer processes performed by Gram-positive bacteria is introduced, emphasising their electroactive role in bioelectrochemical systems. Also, the existent information of the molecular processes by which these bacteria exchange electrons with an electrode is highlighted. This understanding is fundamental to advance the implementation of these organisms in sustainable biotechnological processes, either through modification of the systems or through genetic engineering, where the organisms can be optimized to become better catalysts.