Microbial diversity structure in acetate single chamber microbial fuel cell for electricity generation

Mechanistic and data-driven modeling of carbon respiration with bio-electrochemical sensors

Bioelectrochemical sensor (BES) technologies have been developed to measure soluble carbon concentrations in wastewater. However, architectures and analytical methods developed in controlled laboratory environments fail to predict BES behavior during field deployments at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Here, we examine the possibilities and obstacles associated with integrating BESs into environmental sensing networks and machine learning algorithms to monitor the biodegradable carbon dynamics and microbial metabolism at WRRFs. This approach highlights the potential of BESs to provide real-time insights into full-scale biodegradable carbon consumption across WRRFs.

Harnessing Pseudomonas putida in bioelectrochemical systems

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), a group of promising integrated systems that combine the advantages of biotechnology and electrochemical techniques, offer new opportunities to address environmental and energy challenges. Exoelectrogens capable of extracellular electron transfer (EET) are the critical factor enabling electrocatalytic activity in BESs. Pseudomonas putida, an aerobe widely used in environmental bioremediation, the biosynthesis of valuable chemicals, and energy bioproduction, has attracted much attention due to its unique application potential in BESs. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the working principles, key factors, and applications of BESs using P. putida as the exoelectrogen. The challenges and perspectives for the development of BESs with P. putida as the exoelectrogen are also proposed and discussed.

Insights on hexavalent chromium(VI) remediation strategies in abiotic and biotic dual chamber microbial fuel cells: electrochemical, physical, and metagenomics characterizations

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is one of the most carcinogenic and mutagenic toxins, and is commonly released into the environemt from different industries, including leather tanning, pulp and paper manufacturing, and metal finishing. This study aimed to investigate the performance of dual chamber microbial fuel cells (DMFCs) equipped with a biocathode as alternative promising remediation approaches for the biological reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] with instantaneous power generation. A succession batch under preliminary diverse concentrations of Cr(VI) (from 5 to 60 mg L-1) was conducted to investigate the reduction mechanism of DMFCs. Compared to abiotic-cathode DMFC, biotic-cathode DMFC exhibited a much higher power density, Cr(VI) reduction, and coulombic efficiency over a wide range of Cr(VI) concentrations (i.e., 5-60 mg L-1). Furthermore, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the chemical functional groups on the surface of biotic cathode DMFC were mainly trivalent chromium (Cr(III)). Additionally, high throughput sequencing showed that the predominant anodic bacterial phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Deinococcota with the dominance of Clostridiumsensu strict 1, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Clostridiumsensu strict 11 and Lysinibacillus in the cathodic microbial community. Collectively, our results showed that the Cr(VI) removal occurred through two different mechanisms: biosorption and bioelectrochemical reduction. These findings confirmed that the DMFC could be used as a bioremediation approach for the removal of Cr(VI) commonly found in different industrial wastewater, such as tannery effluents. with simultaneous bioenergy production.

Catalytic advancements in carbonaceous materials for bio-energy generation in microbial fuel cells: a review

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a sustainable alternative for wastewater treatment and clean energy generation. The efficiency of the technology is dependent on the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction, where the sluggish reaction kinetics hampers its propensity. Carbonaceous materials with high electrical conductivity have been widely explored for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. Here, incorporating transition metal (TM) and heteroatom into carbon could further enhance the ORR activity and power generation in MFCs. Nitrogen (N)-doped carbons have also been a popular research hotspot due to abundant active sites formed, resulting in superior conductivity, stability, and catalytic activity over carbons. This review summarizes the progress in the carbon-based materials (primary focus on the cathode) for ORR and their utilization in MFCs. Furthermore, we discussed the conceptualization of MFCs and carbonaceous materials to instigate the ORR kinetics and power generation in MFC. Furthermore, prospects of carbon-based materials for actual application in bio-energy generation have been discussed. Carbonaceous catalysts and biomass-derived carbons exhibit good potential to replace precious Pt catalysts for ORR. M-N-C catalysts were found to be the most suitable catalysts. Electrocatalysts with MN_x sites are able to achieve excellent activity and high-power output by taking advantage of the active site exposure and rapid mass transfer rate. Moreover, the use of biomass-derived carbons/self-doped carbons could further reduce the overall cost of catalysts. It is anticipated that the research gaps and future perspectives discussed will show new avenues to develop excellent electrocatalysts for better performance and transformation of technology to industrial applications.

Recent progress in microbial fuel cells using substrates from diverse sources

Increasing untreated environmental outputs from industry and the rising human population have increased the burden of wastewater and other waste streams on the environment. The most prevalent wastewater treatment methods include the activated sludge process, which requires aeration and is, therefore, energy and cost-intensive. The current trend towards a circular economy facilitates the recovery of waste materials as a resource. Along with the amount, the complexity of wastewater is increasing day by day. Therefore, wastewater treatment processes must be transformed into cost-effective and sustainable methods. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use electroactive microbes to extract chemical energy from waste organic molecules to generate electricity via waste treatment. This review focuses use of MFCs as an energy converter using wastewater from various sources. The different substrate sources that are evaluated include industrial, agricultural, domestic, and pharmaceutical types. The article also highlights the effect of operational parameters such as organic load, pH, current, and concentration on the MFC output. The article also covers MFC functioning with respect to the substrate, and the associated performance parameters, such as power generation and wastewater treatment matrices, are given. The review also illustrates the success stories of various MFC configurations. We emphasize the significant measures required to fill in the gaps related to the effect of substrate type on different MFC configurations, identification of microbes for use as biocatalysts, and development of biocathodes for the further improvement of the system. Finally, we shortlisted the best performing substrates based on the maximum current and power, Coulombic efficiency, and chemical oxygen demand removal upon the treatment of substrates in MFCs. This information will guide industries that wish to use MFC technology to treat generated effluent from various processes.

Mild Alkaline Pretreatment of Rice Straw as a Feedstock in Microbial Fuel Cells for Generation of Bioelectricity

The dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels as an energy source has drastically increased global temperatures. Their continuous use poses a great threat to the existing energy reserves. Therefore, the energy sector has taken a turn toward developing eco-friendly, sustainable energy generation by using sustainable lignocellulosic wastes, such as rice straw (RS). For lignocellulosic waste to be utilized as an efficient energy source, it needs to be broken down into less complex forms by pretreatment processes, such as alkaline pretreatment using NaOH. Varied NaOH concentrations (0.5%,1.0%,1.5%,2%) for alkaline pretreatment of RS were used for the holocellulose generation. Amongst the four NaOH concentrations tested, RS-1.5% exhibited higher holocellulose generation of 80.1%, whereas 0.5%, 1 5 and 2% pointed 71.9%, 73.8%, and 78.5% holocellulose generation, respectively. Further, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were tested for voltage generation by utilizing holocellulose generated from untreated (RS-0%) and mildly alkaline pretreated RS (RS-1.5%) as a feedstock. The MFC voltage and maximum power generation using RS-0% were 194 mV and 167 mW/m2, respectively. With RS-1.5%, the voltage and maximum power generation were 556 mV and 583 mW/m2, respectively. The power density of RS-1.5% was three-fold higher than that of RS-0%. The increase in MFC power generation suggests that alkaline pretreatment plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall performance.

Novel study on microbial fuel cells via a comprehensive bibliometric and dynamic approach

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are eco-friendly and useful bioelectrical devices that harness the natural metabolisms of microbes to produce electrical power directly from organic materials. In this study, a bibliometric analysis is conducted to evaluate MFC research from 2001 to 2018 on the basis of the Science Citation Index Expanded database. Overall, MFC research has experienced a dramatic increase over last 18 years, with an exponential growth in the accumulated number of publications. Most publications are closely related to the industrialization and commoditization of MFCs, along with environmental issues, which are currently the biggest global challenges in MFC studies. A small proportion (4.34%) of the scientific journals published more than half (54.34%) of the total articles in the MFC field. Articles from the top 10 countries/regions accounted for the majority (83.16%) of the total articles, clearly indicating that advanced MFC technologies are currently dominated by these countries/regions. Moreover, an increasing number of MFC researchers are considering two-chamber and three-chamber MFC reactions. In particular, they are focusing on environmental technology instead of merely improving the efficiency of electricity generation. Materials research in the MFC field is still a popular area worldwide, and many researchers have focused on novel and eco-friendly cathode and anode developments. Meanwhile, only a few MFC studies are concerned with biological research.

Enrichment of Clostridia enhances Geobacter population and electron harvesting in a complex electroactive biofilm

Current research on microbial fuel cell or microbial electrolysis cell dealt with finding new electroactive bacteria and understanding the mechanisms of electronic exchange. Complex consortia allowed to obtain better performances than pure cultures in part thanks to inter-species cooperation. However, the role of each bacterium in a complex biofilm in the electron harvest on an electrode remains unclear. Thus, we combined electrochemical monitoring of electron exchange and high throughput sequencing analysis in order to describe the bacterial composition and the electroactive performance of mangrove mud biofilms. In this study, secondary electroactive biofilms were formed on carbon electrodes from Desulfuromonas-dominated inoculum of pre-formed bioanodes. The performances and the Desulfuromonas-dominated profile were the same as those of primary bioanodes when the planktonic community was conserved. However, a Clostridium enrichment allowed to restore the performance in maximal current densities promoting an increase of Geobacter population, becoming the most dominant group among the Deltaproteobacteria, replacing Desulfuromonas. These results highlight a positive collaboration between Clostridium and Geobacter spp. helping a bacterial population to achieve with the depletion of their environment. Our study provides new insight into relationships between dominant electroactive bacteria and other bacteria species living in an organic matter-rich environment as mangrove sediments.

The enhancement of microbial fuel cell performance by anodic bacterial community adaptation and cathodic mixed nickel–copper oxides on a graphene electrocatalyst

Background

Although microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising technology for capturing renewable energy from wastewater, their scaling-up is significantly limited by a slow-rate cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the development of a resilient anodic microbial community. In this study, mixed transition metal oxides of nickel and copper (Ni and Cu), supported on a graphene (G) (NiO–CuO/G) electrocatalyst, were synthesized and tested as a cost-effective cathode for ORR in MFCs. Electrochemical measurements of electrocatalyst were conducted using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) in a neutral electrolyte, and compared with a benchmark Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the long-term performance of the as-synthesized electrocatalyst was evaluated in a single-chamber MFC by measuring organic matter removal and polarization behavior. The successful enrichment of electroactive biofilm was also monitored using transmission electron microscopy and the Vitek2 compact system technique.

Results

When compared with the benchmark platinum cathode, the NiO–CuO/G electrocatalyst exhibited high selectivity toward ORR. The rotating disk electrode (RDE) experiments reveal that ORR proceeds via a 4-electron ORR mechanism. Furthermore, the NiO–CuO/G electrocatalyst also exhibited a high power density of 21.25 mW m−2 in an air-cathode MFC, which was slightly lower than that of Pt/C-based MFC (i.e., 50.4 mW m−2). Biochemical characterization of the most abundant bacteria on anodic biofilms identified four genera (i.e., Escherichia coli, Shewanella putrefaciens, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus Thuringiensis/mycoides) that belonged to Gammaproteobacteria, and Firmicutesphyla.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the NiO–CuO/G cathode had an enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward ORR in a pH-neutral solution. This novel mixed transition metal oxide electrocatalyst could replace expensive Pt-based catalysts for MFC applications.

Microbial fuel cells for bioelectricity production from waste as sustainable prospect of future energy sector

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is lauded for its potentials to solve both energy crisis and environmental pollution. Technologically, it offers the capability to harness electricity from the chemical energy stored in the organic substrate with no intermediate steps, thereby minimizes the entropic loss due to the inter-conversion of energy. The sciences underneath such MFCs include the electron and proton generation from the metabolic decomposition of the substrate by microbes at the anode, followed by the shuttling of these charges to cathode for electricity generation. While its promising prospects were mutually evinced in the past investigations, the upscaling of MFC in sustaining global energy demands and waste treatments is yet to be put into practice. In this context, the current review summarizes the important knowledge and applications of MFCs, concurrently identifies the technological bottlenecks that restricted its vast implementation. In addition, economic analysis was also performed to provide multiangle perspectives to readers. Succinctly, MFCs are mainly hindered by the slow metabolic kinetics, sluggish transfer of charged particles, and low economic competitiveness when compared to conventional technologies. From these hindering factors, insightful strategies for improved practicality of MFCs were formulated, with potential future research direction being identified too. With proper planning, we are delighted to see the industrialization of MFCs in the near future, which would benefit the entire human race with cleaner energy and the environment.

Anodic and cathodic biofilms coupled with electricity generation in single-chamber microbial fuel cell using activated sludge

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is used to remove organic pollutants while generating electricity. Biocathode plays as an efficient electrocatalyst for accelerating the Oxidation Reduction Reaction (ORR) of oxygen in MFC. This study integrated biocathode into a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (BSCMFC) to produce electricity from an organic substrate using aerobic activated sludge to gain more insights into anodic and cathodic biofilms. The maximum power density, current density, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, and coulombic efficiency were 0.593 W m^-3, 2.6 A m^-3, 83 ± 8.4%, and 22 ± 2.5%, respectively. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by biofilm from the biocathode were higher than the bioanode. Infrared spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) examined confirmed the presence of biofilm by the adhesion on electrodes. The dominant phyla in bioanode were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, while the dominant phylum in the biocathode was Proteobacteria. Therefore, this study demonstrates the applicable use of BSCMFC for bioelectricity generation and pollution control.

An acetate-yielding diet imprints an immune and anti-microbial programme against enteric infection

Objectives

During gastrointestinal infection, dysbiosis can result in decreased production of microbially derived short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In response to the presence of intestinal pathogens, we examined whether an engineered acetate‐ or butyrate‐releasing diet can rectify the deficiency of SCFAs and lead to the resolution of enteric infection.

Methods

We tested whether a high acetate‐ or butyrate‐producing diet (HAMSA or HAMSB, respectively) condition Citrobacterrodentium infection in mice and assess its impact on host‐microbiota interactions. We analysed the adaptive and innate immune responses, changes in gut microbiome function, epithelial barrier function and the molecular mechanism via metabolite sensing G protein‐coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) and IL‐22 expression.

Results

HAMSA diet rectified the deficiency in acetate production and protected against enteric infection. Increased SCFAs affect the expression of pathogen virulence genes. HAMSA diet promoted compositional and functional changes in the gut microbiota during infection similar to healthy microbiota from non‐infected mice. Bacterial changes were evidenced by the production of proteins involved in acetate utilisation, starch and sugar degradation, amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate transport and metabolism. HAMSA diet also induced changes in host proteins critical in glycolysis, wound healing such as GPX1 and epithelial architecture such as EZR1 and PFN1. Dietary acetate assisted in rapid epithelial repair, as shown by increased colonic Muc‐2, Il‐22, and anti‐microbial peptides. We found that acetate increased numbers of colonic IL‐22 producing TCRαβ⁺CD8αβ⁺ and TCRγδ⁺CD8αα⁺ intraepithelial lymphocytes expressing GPR43.

Conclusion

HAMSA diet may be an effective therapeutic approach for fighting inflammation and enteric infections and offer a safe alternative that may impact on human health.

"Bacterial consortium from hydrothermal vent sediments presents electrogenic activity achieved under sulfate reducing conditions in a microbial fuel cell"

PURPOSE

The aim of the present work was to assess the electrogenic activity of bacteria from hydrothermal vent sediments achieved under sulfate reducing (SR) conditions in a microbial fuel cell design with acetate, propionate and butyrate as electron donors.

METHODS

Two different mixtures of volatile fatty acids (VFA) were evaluated as the carbon source at two chemical oxygen demand (COD) proportions. The mixtures of VFA used were: acetate, propionate and butyrate COD: 3:0.5:0.5 (stage 1) and acetate - butyrate COD: 3.5:0.5 (stage 2). Periodical analysis of sulfate (SO₄ ^-2), sulfide (HS^-) and COD were conducted to assess sulfate reduction (SR) and COD removal along with measurements of voltage and current to assess the global performance of the consortium in the system.

RESULTS

Percentage of SR was of 97.5 ± 0.7 and 74.3 ± 1.5% for stage 1 and 2, respectively. The % COD removal was of 91 ± 2.1 and 75.3 ± 9.6 for stage 1 and 2, respectively. Although SR and COD removal were higher at stage 1, in regards of energy, stage 2 presented higher current and power densities and Coulombic efficiency as follows: 741.7 ± 30.5 μA/m², 376 ± 34.4 μW/m² and 5 ± 2.7%, whereas for stage 1 these values were: 419 ± 71 μA/m², 52.7 ± 18 μW/m² and 0.02%, respectively. A metagenomic analysis - stage 2 - in the anodic chamber, demonstrated that SR was due to Dethiosulfovibrionaceae (HA73), Desulfobacter and Desulfococcus and the electrogenic microorganisms were Planococcus, SHD-231, Proteiniclasticum, vadinCA02, and families Porphyromonadacea and Pseudomonadaceae.

CONCLUSIONS

It was demonstrated that microorganisms prevenient from hydrothermal vent sediments adapted to a microbial fuel cell system are able to generate electricity coupled to 74.3 ± 1.5 and 75.3 ± 9.6% of SR and COD removal respectively, with a mixture of acetate - butyrate.

Bio-Electrochemical Enhancement of Hydrogen and Methane Production in a Combined Anaerobic Digester (AD) and Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC) from Dairy Manure

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biological-based technology that generates methane-enriched biogas. A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) uses electricity to initiate bacterial oxidization of organic matter to produce hydrogen. This study determined the effect of energy production and waste treatment when using dairy manure in a combined AD and MEC (AD-MEC) system compared to AD without MEC (AD-only). In the AD-MEC system, a single chamber MEC (150 mL) was placed inside a 10 L digester on day 20 of the digestion process and run for 272 h (11 days) to determine residual treatment and energy capacity with an MEC included. Cumulative H2 and CH4 production in the AD-MEC (2.43 L H2 and 23.6 L CH4) was higher than AD-only (0.00 L H2 and 10.9 L CH4). Hydrogen concentration during the first 24 h of MEC introduction constituted 20% of the produced biogas, after which time the H2 decreased as the CH4 concentration increased from 50% to 63%. The efficiency of electrical energy recovery (ηE) in the MEC was 73% (ηE min.) to 324% (ηE max.), with an average increase of 170% in total energy compared to AD-only. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was higher in the AD-MEC (7.09 kJ/g COD removed) system compared to AD-only (6.19 kJ/g COD removed). This study showed that adding an MEC during the digestion process could increase overall energy production and organic removal from dairy manure.

Electricity Generation, Salt and Nitrogen Removal and Microbial Community in Aircathode Microbial Desalination Cell for Saline-Alkaline Soil-Washing Water Treatment

An aircathode microbial desalination cell (AMDC) was successfully started by inoculating anaerobic sludge into the anode of a microbial desalination cell and then used to study the effects of salinity on performance of AMDC and effect of treatment of coastal saline-alkaline soil-washing water. The results showed that the desalination cycle and rate gradually shorten, but salt removal gradually increased when the salinity was decreased, and the highest salt removal was 98.00 ± 0.12% at a salinity of 5 g/L. COD removal efficiency was increased with the extension of operation cycle and largest removal efficiency difference was not significant, but the average coulomb efficiency had significant differences under the condition of each salinity. This indicates that salinity conditions have significant influence on salt removal and coulomb efficiency under the combined action of osmotic pressure, electric field action, running time and microbial activity, etc. On the contrary, COD removal effect has no significant differences under the condition of inoculation of the same substrate in the anode chamber. The salt removal reached 99.13 ± 2.1% when the AMDC experiment ended under the condition of washing water of coastal saline-alkaline soil was inserted in the desalination chamber. Under the action of osmotic pressure, ion migration, nitrification and denitrification, NH4+-N and NO3−-N in the washing water of the desalination chamber were removed, and this indicates that the microbial desalination cell can be used to treatment the washing water of coastal saline-alkaline soil. The microbial community and function of the anode electrode biofilm and desalination chamber were analyzed through high-throughput sequencing, and the power generation characteristics, organics degradation and migration and transformation pathways of nitrogen of the aircathode microbial desalination cell were further explained.

Effect of substrate type and concentration on the performance of a double chamber microbial fuel cell

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) provides new opportunities for energy generation and wastewater treatment through conversion of organic matter into electricity by electrogenic bacteria. This study investigates the effect of different types and concentrations of substrates on the performance of a double chamber microbial fuel cell (DCMFC). Three mediator-less laboratory-scale DCMFCs were used in this study, which were equipped with graphite electrode and cation exchange membrane. The MFCs were fed with three different types of substrates (glucose, acetate and sucrose) at a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 1,000 mg/L. The selected substrate (acetate) was studied for three different concentrations of 500, 2,000 and 3,000 mg/L of COD. Results demonstrated that acetate was the best substrate among the three different substrates with maximum power density and COD removal of 91 mW/m² and 77%, respectively. Concentration of 2,000 mg/L was the best concentration in terms of performance with maximum power density and COD removal of 114 mW/m² and 79%, respectively. The polarization curve shows that ohmic losses were dominant in DCMFCs established for all three substrates and concentrations.

Characterization of anodic biofilm bacterial communities and performance evaluation of a mediator-free microbial fuel cell

This study investigated the bioelectrical performance of a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC) fueled with acetate as the electron donor and inoculated with municipal solid waste rejected fractions (MSWRFs) as a microbial inoculum. The molecular characterization of the bacterial community structures of the anodic biofilm was conducted based on 16s RNA gene sequencing. The results indicated that the highest open-circuit voltage (OCV) was 797 mV and the system had a maximum power density of 134.5 mW/m² at a stable current density of 328 mA/m². The microbial fuel cell’s (MFC) columbic efficiency (CE) was 55% at a maximum substrate degradation rate of about 86.6% based on COD removal efficiency. The molecular analysis of the anodic bacterial isolates indicated that the phylogenetic bacterial mixture was dominated by seven strains with similarity percentage above 99% for each strain: <i>Enterococcus faecalis, Clostridium butyricum, Bacillus sp., Bacillus subterranous, Enterobacter celoaca,</i> <i>Klebsiella pneumonia,</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. These results suggested that MSWRFs bacterial consortia have a moderate symbiotic structure as indicated by electrons release in parallel with substrate decomposition.

Overview of Recent Advancements in the Microbial Fuel Cell from Fundamentals to Applications: Design, Major Elements, and Scalability

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology offers an alternative means for producing energy from waste products. In this review, several characteristics of MFC technology that make it revolutionary will be highlighted. First, a brief history presents how bioelectrochemical systems have advanced, ultimately describing the development of microbial fuel cells. Second, the focus is shifted to the attributes that enable MFCs to work efficiently. Next, follows the design of various MFC systems in use including their components and how they are assembled, along with an explanation of how they work. Finally, microbial fuel cell designs and types of main configurations used are presented along with the scalability of the technology for proper application. The present review shows importance of design and elements to reduce energy loss for scaling up the MFC system including the type of electrode, shape of the single reactor, electrical connection method, stack direction, and modulation. These aspects precede making economically applicable large-scale MFCs (over 1 m3 scale) a reality.

Bioremediation of wastewater through a quorum sensing triggered MFC: A sustainable measure for waste to energy concept

A mission for fast advancement has constrained us to unpredictably tap various natural assets. The reckless utilisation of fossil fuels led unmanageable wastes which have greatly affected our health and environment. Endeavours to address these difficulties have conveyed to the frontal area certain creative natural solutions particularly the utilisation of microbial digestion systems. In the previous two decades, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) innovation has caught the consideration of the researchers. The MFCs is a kind of bio-electrochemical framework with novel highlights, for example, power production, wastewater treatment, and biosensor applications. Lately, dynamic patterns in MFC inquire about on its synthetic, electrochemical, and microbiological perspectives have brought about its observable applications. The MFCs have begun as a logical interest, and in numerous regards, these remaining parts to be the situation. This is especially a result of the multidimensional uses of this eco-accommodating innovation. The innovation relies upon the electroactive microorganisms, prominently known as exoelectrogens. In the first place, it is the main innovation that can create energy out of waste, without the contribution of outer/extra energy. Modification of electrodes with nanomaterials, for example, gold nanoparticles and iron oxide nanoparticles or pretreatment techniques, for example, sonication and autoclave disinfection have indicated promising outcomes in improving MFC execution for power generation and wastewater treatment. The MFC innovation has been likewise explored for the remediation of different heavy metals and hazardous components, and to recognize the poisonous components in wastewater. What's more, the MFCs can be adjusted into microbial electrolysis cells to produce hydrogen energy from different natural sources. This article gives a thorough and cutting-edge appraisal of the novel magnitudes of the MFC.

Hydrogen and electrical energy co-generation by a cooperative fermentation system comprising Clostridium and microbial fuel cell inoculated with port drainage sediment

This research work has succeeded in recovering energy from glucose by generating H₂ with the aid of a Clostridium beijerinckii strain and obtaining electrical energy from compounds present in the H₂ fermentation effluent in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) seeded with native port drainage sediment. In the fermentation step, 49.5% of the initial glucose concentration (56 mmol/L) was used to produce 104 mmol/L H₂; 5, 33, 3, and 1 mmol/L acetate, butyrate, lactate, and ethanol also emerged, respectively. MFC tests by feeding the anodic compartment with acetate, butyrate, lactate (individually or as a mixture), or the H₂ fermentation effluent provided power density values ranging between 0.6 and 1.2 W/m². Acetate furnished the highest power density with a nanowire-rich biofilm despite the lowest anode bacterial concentration (10¹² 16S gene copies/g of sediment). Non-conventional exoelectrogenic microbial communities were observed in the acetate-fed MFC; e.g., Pseudomonadaceae (Pseudomonas) and Clostridia (Acidaminobacter, Fusibacter).

Application of microbial fuel cell technology for wastewater treatment and electricity generation under Nordic countries climate conditions: Study of performance and microbial communities

Two microbial fuel cells were inoculated with activated sludge from Finland and operated under moderate (25 °C) and low (8 °C) temperatures. Operation under real urban wastewater showed similarities in chemical oxygen demand removal and voltage generated, although moderate temperature supported higher ammonium oxidation. Fungi disappeared in the microbial fuel cell operated at temperature of 25 °C. Archaea domain was dominated by methanogenic archaea at both temperature scenarios. Important differences were observed in bacterial communities between both temperatures, however generating similar voltage. The results supported that the implementation of microbial fuel cells in Nordic countries operating under real conditions could be successful, as well as suggested the flexibility of cold-adapted inoculum for starting-up microbial fuel cells, regardless of the operating temperature of the system, obtaining higher COD removal and voltage generation performances at low temperature than at moderate temperature.

Driving force behind electrochemical performance of microbial fuel cells fed with different substrates

The performance of miniaturized microbial fuel cells operating with five different substrates (acetate, lactate, glucose and octanoate) were studied with the aim to identify the reason for its different performance. In all cases, the COD removal rate was about 650 mg COD L^-1 d^-1. However, the bio-electrochemical performance of the MFC was very different, showing the MFC fed with acetate the best performance: 20 A m^-2 as maximum current density, 2 W m^-2 of maximum power density, 0.376 V of OCV and 12.6% of CE. In addition, the acetate showed the best bio-electrochemical performance in the polarization curves and cyclic voltammetries. These polarization curves were modelled and the key to explain the better electrical performance of acetate was its lower ohmic losses. When working with acetate, its ohmic losses were one log-unit below those attained by the other substrates. These lower ohmic losses were not associated to the electrolyte conductivity of the fuel but to the lower ohmic loses of the biofilm generated.

Meta-proteomic analysis of protein expression distinctive to electricity-generating biofilm communities in air-cathode microbial fuel cells

BACKGROUND

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) harness electrons from microbial respiration to generate power or chemical products from a variety of organic feedstocks, including lignocellulosic biomass, fermentation byproducts, and wastewater sludge. In some BESs, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), bacteria living in a biofilm use the anode as an electron acceptor for electrons harvested from organic materials such as lignocellulosic biomass or waste byproducts, generating energy that may be used by humans. Many BES applications use bacterial biofilm communities, but no studies have investigated protein expression by the anode biofilm community as a whole.

RESULTS

To discover functional protein expression during current generation that may be useful for MFC optimization, a label-free meta-proteomics approach was used to compare protein expression in acetate-fed anode biofilms before and after the onset of robust electricity generation. Meta-proteomic comparisons were integrated with 16S rRNA gene-based community analysis at four developmental stages. The community composition shifted from dominance by aerobic Gammaproteobacteria (90.9 ± 3.3%) during initial biofilm formation to dominance by Deltaproteobacteria, particularly Geobacter (68.7 ± 3.6%) in mature, electricity-generating anodes. Community diversity in the intermediate stage, just after robust current generation began, was double that at the early stage and nearly double that of mature anode communities. Maximum current densities at the intermediate stage, however, were relatively similar (~ 83%) to those achieved by mature-stage biofilms. Meta-proteomic analysis, correlated with population changes, revealed significant enrichment of categories specific to membrane and transport functions among proteins from electricity-producing biofilms. Proteins detected only in electricity-producing biofilms were associated with gluconeogenesis, the glyoxylate cycle, and fatty acid β-oxidation, as well as with denitrification and competitive inhibition.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that it is possible for an MFC microbial community to generate robust current densities while exhibiting high taxonomic diversity. Moreover, these data provide evidence to suggest that startup growth of air-cathode MFCs under conditions that promote the establishment of aerobic-anaerobic syntrophy may decrease startup times. This study represents the first investigation into protein expression of a complex BES anode biofilm community as a whole. The findings contribute to understanding of the molecular mechanisms at work during BES startup and suggest options for improvement of BES generation of bioelectricity from renewable biomass.

Effect of vitamins and cell constructions on the activity of microbial fuel cell battery

Construction of efficient performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) requires certain practical considerations. In the single chamber microbial fuel cell, there is no border between the anode and the cathode, thus the diffusion of the dissolved oxygen has a contrary effect on the anodic respiration and this leads to the inhibition of the direct electron transfer from the biofilm to the anodic surface. Here, a fed-batch single chambered microbial fuel cells are constructed with different distances 3 and 6 cm (anode- cathode spacing), while keeping the working volume is constant. The performance of each MFC is individually evaluated under the effects of vitamins & minerals with acetate as a fed load. The maximum open circuit potential during testing the 3 and 6 cm microbial fuel cells is about 946 and 791 mV respectively. By decreasing the distance between the anode and the cathode from 6 to 3 cm, the power density is decreased from 108.3 mW m⁻² to 24.5 mW m⁻². Thus, the short distance in membrane-less MFC weakened the cathode and inhibited the anodic respiration which affects the overall performance of the MFC efficiency. The system is displayed a maximum potential of 564 and 791 mV in absence & presence of vitamins respectively. Eventually, the overall functions of the acetate single chamber microbial fuel cell can be improved by the addition of vitamins & minerals and increasing the distance between the cathode and the anode.

Exploring the Bioelectrochemical Characteristics of Activated Sludge Using Cyclic Voltammetry

Due to the potential interest, bioelectrochemical responses of activated sludge using the three-electrode system are tested. From the cyclic voltammograms, the oxidation current output is increasing due to incubation time increase, whereas 5, 25 and 39.33 μA are obtained after 3, 72 and 96 h, respectively. Changing the working electrode from glassy carbon to carbon paste led to the increase in the electrochemical signal from 0.3 to be 3.72 μA. On the other hand, the use of the lipophilic redox mediator (2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP)) amplified the oxidation current to reach 19.9 μA instead of 2.1 μA. Based on these findings, the mixed microbial community of the activated sludge is exploited as a catalyst for the bio-oxidation of the degradable organic substrates, while DCIP is used as a mobile electron carrier from the intracellular matrix of the metabolically active cells to the carbon paste electrode which served as the final electron acceptor. Therefore, the extracellular electron transfer from the formed active biofilm at the electrode surface is assisted by the existence of DCIP.