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Cabau-Peinado O, Winkelhorst M, Stroek R, de Kat Angelino R, Straathof AJJ, Masania K, Daran JM, Jourdin L. Microbial electrosynthesis from CO 2 reaches productivity of syngas and chain elongation fermentations. Trends Biotechnol 2024:S0167-7799(24)00152-5. [PMID: 39122591 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Carbon-based products are essential to society, yet producing them from fossil fuels is unsustainable. Microorganisms have the ability to take up electrons from solid electrodes and convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to valuable carbon-based chemicals. However, higher productivities and energy efficiencies are needed to reach a viability that can make the technology transformative. Here, we show how a biofilm-based microbial porous cathode in a directed flow-through electrochemical system can continuously reduce CO2 to even-chain C2-C6 carboxylic acids over 248 days. We demonstrate a threefold higher biofilm concentration, volumetric current density, and productivity compared with the state of the art. Most notably, the volumetric productivity (VP) resembles those achieved in laboratory-scale and industrial syngas (CO-H2-CO2) fermentation and chain elongation fermentation. This work highlights key design parameters for efficient electricity-driven microbial CO2 reduction. There is need and room to improve the rates of electrode colonization and microbe-specific kinetics to scale up the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Cabau-Peinado
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Marijn Winkelhorst
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Rozanne Stroek
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Roderick de Kat Angelino
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Adrie J J Straathof
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Kunal Masania
- Shaping Matter Lab, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, Delft 2629 HS, The Netherlands
| | - Jean Marc Daran
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ludovic Jourdin
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
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Bai J, Liu G, Zhang Y, Luo H. Autotrophic degradation of sulfamethoxazole using sulfate-reducing biocathode in microbial photo-electrolysis system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170332. [PMID: 38266726 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Sulfamethoxazole is a representative of sulfonamide antibiotic pollutants. This study aims to investigate the degradation pathways of sulfamethoxazole and the response of microbial communities using the autotrophic biocathode in microbial photo-electrolysis systems (MPESs). Sulfamethoxazole with an initial concentration of 2 mg L-1 was degraded into small molecule propanol within 6 h with the biocathode. Elemental sulfur (S0) was detected in the cathode chamber, accounting for 57 % of the removed sulfate. The conversion from sulfate to S0 indicated that autotrophic microorganisms might adopt a novel pathway for sulfamethoxazole removal in the MPES. In the abiotic cathode, sulfamethoxazole degradation rate was 0.09 mg L-1 h-1 with the electrochemistry process. However, sulfamethoxazole was converted to products that still contain benzene rings, including p-aminothiophenol, 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole, and sulfonamide. The microbial community analysis indicated that the synergistic interaction of Desulfovibrio and Acetobacterium promoted the autotrophic degradation of sulfamethoxazole. The results suggested that autotrophic microorganisms may play an important role in the environmental transformation of sulfamethoxazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Bai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guangli Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Environmental & Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Haiping Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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3
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Liu H, Zeng Y, Chen W, Liu C, Sun D, Hu Z, Li P, Xu H, Wu H, Qiu B, Liu X, Dang Y. Effect of different hydrogen evolution rates at cathode on bioelectrochemical reduction of CO 2 to acetate. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169744. [PMID: 38176559 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) offers a promising approach for converting CO2 into valuable chemicals such as acetate. However, the relative low conversion rate severely limits its practical application. This study investigated the impact of different hydrogen evolution rates on the conversion rate of CO2 to acetate in the MES system. Three potentials (-0.8 V, -0.9 V and -1.0 V) corresponding to various hydrogen evolution rates were set and analyzed, revealing an optimal hydrogen evolution rate, yielding a maximum acetate formation rate of 1410.9 mg/L and 73.5 % coulomb efficiency. The electrochemical findings revealed that an optimal hydrogen evolution rate facilitated the formation of an electroactive biofilm. The microbial community of the cathode biofilm highlighted key genera, including Clostridium and Acetobacterium, which played essential roles in electrosynthesis within the MES system. Notably, a low hydrogen evolution rate failed to provide sufficient energy for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to acetate, while a high rate led to cathode alkalinization, impeding the reaction and causing significant energy wastage. Therefore, maintaining an appropriate hydrogen evolution rate is crucial for the development of mature electroactive biofilms and achieving optimal performance in the MES system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanying Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yiwei Zeng
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Wenwen Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chuanqi Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Dezhi Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhen Hu
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Pengsong Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Haiyu Xu
- Qinglin Chuangneng (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Hongbin Wu
- Qinglin Chuangneng (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Bin Qiu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xinying Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yan Dang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Li S, Kim M, Song YE, Hwan Son S, Kim HI, Jae J, Yan Q, Fei Q, Kim JR. Housing of electrosynthetic biofilms using a roll-up carbon veil electrode increases CO 2 conversion and faradaic efficiency in microbial electrosynthesis cells. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 393:130157. [PMID: 38065517 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Electrode-driven microbial electron transfer enables the conversion of CO2 into multi-carbon compounds. The electrosynthetic biofilms grow slowly on the surface and are highly susceptible to operational influences, such as hydrodynamic shear stress. In this study, a cylindrical roll-up carbon felt electrode was developed as a novel strategy to protect biofilms from shear stress within the reactor. The fabricated electrode allowed hydrogen bubble formation inside the structure, which enabled microbes to uptake hydrogen and convert CO2 to multi-carbon organic compounds. The roll-up electrode exhibited faster start-up and biofilm formation than the conventional linear shape carbon felt. The acetate yield and cathodic faradaic efficiency increased by 80% and 34%, respectively, and the bioelectrochemical stability was improved significantly. The roll-up structure increased biofilm development per unit electrode surface by three to five-fold. The roll-up configuration improved biofilm formation on the electrode, which enhanced the performance of microbial electrosynthesis-based CO2 valorization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwei Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China; Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 277 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shanxi 710061, China
| | - Minsoo Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Eun Song
- Advanced Biofuel and Bioproducts Process Development Unit, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Sang Hwan Son
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoung-Il Kim
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungho Jae
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Qun Yan
- School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Qiang Fei
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jung Rae Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
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Jayathilake C, Piyumika G, Nazeer Z, Wijayawardene N, Rajakaruna S, Kumla J, Fernando E. Recent progress in the characterization and application of exo-electrogenic microorganisms. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2024; 117:10. [PMID: 38170279 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-023-01916-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Exo-electrogenic microorganisms are characterized by their special metabolic capability of transferring metabolic electrons out of their cell, into insoluble external electron acceptors such as iron or manganese oxides and electrodes, or vice versa take up electron from electrodes. Their conventional application is primarily limited to microbial fuel cells for electrical power generation and microbial electrolysis cells for the production of value-added products such as biohydrogen, biomethane and hydrogen peroxide. The utility of exo-electrogenic organisms has expanded into many other applications in recent times. Such examples include microbial desalination cells, microbial electro-synthesis cells producing value-added chemicals such as bio-butanol and their applications in other carbon sequestration technologies. Additionally, electrochemically-active organisms are now beginning to be employed in biosensor applications for environmental monitoring. Additionally, the utility of biocathodes in bio-electrochemical systems is also a novel application in catalyzing the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction to enhance their electrochemical performance. Advances have also been made in the expansion and use of other organisms such as the usage of photosynthetic microorganisms for the fabrication of self-sustained bio-electrochemical systems. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of the state-of the art of exo-electrogenic organisms and their novel utility in bioelectrochemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gayani Piyumika
- Department of Biology, Rajarata University, Mihintale, 50300, Sri Lanka
| | - Zumaira Nazeer
- Department of Biology, Rajarata University, Mihintale, 50300, Sri Lanka
| | - Nalin Wijayawardene
- Centre for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, 655011, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Jaturong Kumla
- Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Eustace Fernando
- Department of Biology, Rajarata University, Mihintale, 50300, Sri Lanka.
- School of Engineering and Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Charles V. Schaefer, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA.
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6
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Chen G, Wang R, Sun M, Chen J, Iyobosa E, Zhao J. Carbon dioxide reduction to high-value chemicals in microbial electrosynthesis system: Biological conversion and regulation strategies. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 344:140251. [PMID: 37769909 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Large emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are causing climatic and environmental problems. It is crucial to capture and utilize the excess CO2 through diverse methods, among which the microbial electrosynthesis (MES) system has become an attractive and promising technology to mitigate greenhouse effects while reducing CO2 to high-value chemicals. However, the biological conversion and metabolic pathways through microbial catalysis have not been clearly elucidated. This review first introduces the main acetogenic bacteria for CO2 reduction and extracellular electron transfer mechanisms in MES. It then intensively analyzes the CO2 bioconversion pathways and carbon chain elongation processes in MES, together with energy supply and utilization. The factors affecting MES performance, including physical, chemical, and biological aspects, are summarized, and the strategies to promote and regulate bioconversion in MES are explored. Finally, challenges and perspectives concerning microbial electrochemical carbon sequestration are proposed, and suggestions for future research are also provided. This review provides theoretical foundation and technical support for further development and industrial application of MES for CO2 reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoxiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze Aquatic Environment (MOE), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Rongchang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze Aquatic Environment (MOE), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Maoxin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze Aquatic Environment (MOE), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze Aquatic Environment (MOE), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Eheneden Iyobosa
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze Aquatic Environment (MOE), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jianfu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze Aquatic Environment (MOE), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai, PR China
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7
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Li S, Zhang H, Zhang H, Li S, Xing F, Chen T, Duan L. Impact analysis of operating conditions on carbon dioxide reduction in microbial electrosynthesis: Insight into the substance utilization and microbial response. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 390:129879. [PMID: 37866769 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is facing a series of problems including low energy utilization and production efficiency of high value-added products, which seriously hinder its practical application. In this study, a more practical direct current power source was used and the anaerobic activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants was inoculated to construct the acetic acid-producing MES. The operating conditions of acetic acid production were further optimized and the specific mechanisms involving the substance utilization and microbial response were revealed. The optimum conditions were the potential of 3.0 V and pH 6.0. Under these conditions, highly electroactive biofilms formed and all kinds of substances were effectively utilized. In addition, dominant bacteria (Acetobacterium, Desulfovibrio, Sulfuricurvum, Sulfurospirillum, and Fusibacter) had high abundances. Under optimal conditions, acetic acid-forming characteristic genera (Acetobacterium) had the highest relative abundance (Biocathode-25.82 % and Suspension-17.24 %). This study provided references for the optimal operating conditions of MES and revealed the corresponding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Institute of Water Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Haiya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Institute of Water Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China.
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China
| | - Siqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Institute of Water Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China
| | - Fei Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Institute of Water Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Tianyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Institute of Water Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China
| | - Liang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Institute of Water Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China.
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8
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Dessì P, Buenaño-Vargas C, Martínez-Sosa S, Mills S, Trego A, Ijaz UZ, Pant D, Puig S, O'Flaherty V, Farràs P. Microbial electrosynthesis of acetate from CO 2 in three-chamber cells with gas diffusion biocathode under moderate saline conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 16:100261. [PMID: 37089695 PMCID: PMC10120373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The industrial adoption of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is hindered by high overpotentials deriving from low electrolyte conductivity and inefficient cell designs. In this study, a mixed microbial consortium originating from an anaerobic digester operated under saline conditions (∼13 g L-1 NaCl) was adapted for acetate production from bicarbonate in galvanostatic (0.25 mA cm-2) H-type cells at 5, 10, 15, or 20 g L-1 NaCl concentration. The acetogenic communities were successfully enriched only at 5 and 10 g L-1 NaCl, revealing an inhibitory threshold of about 6 g L-1 Na+. The enriched planktonic communities were then used as inoculum for 3D printed, three-chamber cells equipped with a gas diffusion biocathode. The cells were fed with CO2 gas and operated galvanostatically (0.25 or 1.00 mA cm-2). The highest production rate of 55.4 g m-2 d-1 (0.89 g L-1 d-1), with 82.4% Coulombic efficiency, was obtained at 5 g L-1 NaCl concentration and 1 mA cm-2 applied current, achieving an average acetate production of 44.7 kg MWh-1. Scanning electron microscopy and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis confirmed the formation of a cathodic biofilm dominated by Acetobacterium sp. Finally, three 3D printed cells were hydraulically connected in series to simulate an MES stack, achieving three-fold production rates than with the single cell at 0.25 mA cm-2. This confirms that three-chamber MES cells are an efficient and scalable technology for CO2 bio-electro recycling to acetate and that moderate saline conditions (5 g L-1 NaCl) can help reduce their power demand while preserving the activity of acetogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Dessì
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, H91 CF50, Galway, Ireland
- LEQUiA, Institute of the Environment, University of Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, E-17003, Girona, Spain
- Corresponding author. LEQUiA, Institute of the Environment, University of Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, E-17003, Girona, Spain.
| | - Claribel Buenaño-Vargas
- Microbiology Department, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, University Road, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Santiago Martínez-Sosa
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, H91 CF50, Galway, Ireland
| | - Simon Mills
- Microbiology Department, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, University Road, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Anna Trego
- Microbiology Department, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, University Road, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Umer Z. Ijaz
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak Pant
- Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Sebastià Puig
- LEQUiA, Institute of the Environment, University of Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, E-17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Vincent O'Flaherty
- Microbiology Department, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, University Road, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Pau Farràs
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, H91 CF50, Galway, Ireland
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Qiu Z, Zhang K, Li XL, Song TS, Xie J. Sn promotes formate production to enhance microbial electrosynthesis of acetate via indirect electron transport. Biochem Eng J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2023.108842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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10
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Luo D, Zhang K, Song T, Xie J. Improving cell permeability and stimulating biofilm to release extracellular polymeric substances with lysozyme for enhanced acetate production in microbial electrosynthesis. J CO2 UTIL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2022.102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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11
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A meta-analysis of acetogenic and methanogenic microbiomes in microbial electrosynthesis. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:73. [PMID: 36138044 PMCID: PMC9500080 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00337-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A meta-analysis approach was used, to study the microbiomes of biofilms and planktonic communities underpinning microbial electrosynthesis (MES) cells. High-throughput DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons has been increasingly applied to understand MES systems. In this meta-analysis of 22 studies, we find that acetogenic and methanogenic MES cells share 80% of a cathodic core microbiome, and that different inoculum pre-treatments strongly affect community composition. Oxygen scavengers were more abundant in planktonic communities, and several key organisms were associated with operating parameters and good cell performance. We suggest Desulfovibrio sp. play a role in initiating early biofilm development and shaping microbial communities by catalysing H2 production, to sustain either Acetobacterium sp. or Methanobacterium sp. Microbial community assembly became more stochastic over time, causing diversification of the biofilm (cathodic) community in acetogenic cells and leading to re-establishment of methanogens, despite inoculum pre-treatments. This suggests that repeated interventions may be required to suppress methanogenesis.
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12
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Zhou M, Zeng C, Liu G, Luo H, Zhang R. Enhanced CO 2 reduction and acetate synthesis in autotrophic biocathode by N-Hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6HSL)-based quorum-sensing regulation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155724. [PMID: 35523344 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological role of quorum-sensing signaling molecule on the autotrophic biocathode for CO2 reduction and acetate synthesis. As a typical quorum-sensing signaling molecule, N-Hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6HSL) was used to regulate the construction of cathode biofilm. Results showed that the maximum acetate production from CO2 reduction improved by 94.8%, and the maximum Faraday efficiency of the microbial electrosynthesis system enhanced by 71.7%, with the regulation of C6HSL. Electrochemical analyses indicated that higher electrochemical activity and lower charge resistance of biocathode were obtained with C6HSL than without C6HSL. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and electron inhibitor experiment suggested that exogenous C6HSL increased living biomass in the biofilm and facilitated the electron transfer pathway related to NADH dehydrogenase-CoQ and proton motive force. With the C6HSL regulation, the relative abundance of hydrogen producers (e.g., Desulfovibrio and Desulfomicrobium) increased, contributing to the improved performance of autotrophic biocathode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meizhou Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Cuiping Zeng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guangli Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Haiping Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Renduo Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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13
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Qi P, Sun D, Zhang G, Li D, Wu T, Li Y. Bio-augmentation with dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) driven sulfide-oxidizing bacteria enhances the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 219:118556. [PMID: 35550970 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biological souring (producing sulfide) is a global challenge facing anaerobic water bodies, especially the oil reservoir fluids. Nitrate injection has demonstrated great potential in souring control, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) bacteria was proposed to play crucial roles in the process. How to durably control souring with nitrate amendment, however, remains undiscovered. Herein, Gordonia sp. TD-4, a DNRA-driven sulfide-oxidizing bacterium, was used to elucidate the effects of bio-augmentation with DNRA bacteria on the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. The results revealed that nitrate amendment combined with bio-augmentation with TD-4 after souring could effectively control souring and enhance the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control, while nitrate amendment before souring failed to persistently control souring. Nitrate amendment before and after souring resulted in different evolution dynamics of nitrate-reducing bacteria. Denitrifying bacteria were enriched in reactors amended with nitrate before souring or in dissolved sulfide exhausted reactors amended with nitrate after souring. The heterotrophic denitrifying activity of denitrifying bacteria, however, decreased the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. Comparative and functional genomics analysis identified potential niche adaptation mechanisms (autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrate/nitrite reduction, including DNRA and denitrification) of predominant SRB in nitrate-amended environments, which were responsible for the rapid resumption of sulfide accumulation after the depletion of nitrate and nitrite. Pulsed injection of nitrate combined with bio-augmentation with DNRA-driven sulfide-oxidizing bacteria was proposed as a potential method to enhance the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. The findings were innovatively applied to simultaneous bio-demulsification and souring control of emulsified and sour produced water from the petroleum industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panqing Qi
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Dejun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Science of Education Ministry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China
| | - Gaixin Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Dongxia Li
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Tao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Science of Education Ministry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China.
| | - Yujiang Li
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, PR China.
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14
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Madjarov J, Soares R, Paquete CM, Louro RO. Sporomusa ovata as Catalyst for Bioelectrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction: A Review Across Disciplines From Microbiology to Process Engineering. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:913311. [PMID: 35801113 PMCID: PMC9253864 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.913311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sporomusa ovata is a bacterium that can accept electrons from cathodes to drive microbial electrosynthesis (MES) of acetate from carbon dioxide. It is the biocatalyst with the highest acetate production rate described. Here we review the research on S. ovata across different disciplines, including microbiology, biochemistry, engineering, and materials science, to summarize and assess the state-of-the-art. The improvement of the biocatalytic capacity of S. ovata in the last 10 years, using different optimization strategies is described and discussed. In addition, we propose possible electron uptake routes derived from genetic and experimental data described in the literature and point out the possibilities to understand and improve the performance of S. ovata through genetic engineering. Finally, we identify current knowledge gaps guiding further research efforts to explore this promising organism for the MES field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Madjarov
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Soares
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catarina M. Paquete
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo O. Louro
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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15
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Luo D, Zhang K, Song T, Xie J. Enhancing microbial electrosynthesis by releasing extracellular polymeric substances: Novel strategy through extracellular electron transfer improvement. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2022.108496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Song TS, Li T, Tao R, Huang HF, Xie J. CuO/g-C 3N 4 heterojunction photocathode enhances the microbial electrosynthesis of acetate through CO 2 reduction. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 818:151820. [PMID: 34813808 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a novel CO2 utilization technology. Biocatalysts in this process may use electrons obtained from a photovoltaic system to reduce CO2 to chemicals and realize energy conversion from solar energy to chemical energy. The photoelectric material CuO/g-C3N4 was directly introduced into the MES system using mixed culture as biocatalyst in this study. CuO/g-C3N4 can effectively absorb light and presents satisfactory electron and hole separation ability. Photogenerated electrons from CuO/g-C3N4 enhanced the electron transfer rate and reduced cathodic charge transfer resistance. CuO/g-C3N4 mainly improved the electron supply of electroautotrophic microorganisms through direct electron transfer rather than indirect electron transfer via hydrogen. Photogenerated holes can combine electrons from anode and provide extra driving force to improve the MES performance. Furthermore, the CuO/g-C3N4 photocathode also improved the biocatalytic activity by increasing the total amount of biocatalyst and regulating cathodic microbial community composition. Acetate production rate in MES with the CuO/g-C3N4 photocathode was 2.6 times higher than that of the control group. This study provides a new strategy for semiconductor photocathodes to improve the MES performance with mixed culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Shun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China; College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China; College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China
| | - Ran Tao
- Chemistry Department, New York University, NY, New York 10003, United States
| | - Hai Feng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China; College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China
| | - Jingjing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China; College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China; Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing 211816, PR China.
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17
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Vassilev I, Dessì P, Puig S, Kokko M. Cathodic biofilms - A prerequisite for microbial electrosynthesis. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 348:126788. [PMID: 35104648 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.126788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cathodic biofilms have an important role in CO2 bio-reduction to carboxylic acids and biofuels in microbial electrosynthesis (MES) cells. However, robust and resilient electroactive biofilms for an efficient CO2 conversion are difficult to achieve. In this review, the fundamentals of cathodic biofilm formation, including energy conservation, electron transfer and development of catalytic biofilms, are presented. In addition, strategies for improving cathodic biofilm formation, such as the selection of electrode and carrier materials, cell design and operational conditions, are described. The knowledge gaps are individuated, and possible solutions are proposed to achieve stable and productive biofilms in MES cathodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Vassilev
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, 33720, Tampere, Finland
| | - Paolo Dessì
- School of Chemistry and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Sebastià Puig
- LEQUIA. Institute of Environment. University of Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Marika Kokko
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, 33720, Tampere, Finland.
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18
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Bajracharya S, Krige A, Matsakas L, Rova U, Christakopoulos P. Dual cathode configuration and headspace gas recirculation for enhancing microbial electrosynthesis using Sporomusa ovata. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132188. [PMID: 34543900 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
High-rate production of acetate and other value-added products from the reduction of CO2 in microbial electrosynthesis (MES) using acetogens can be achieved with high reducing power where H2 appears as a key electron mediator. H2 evolution using metal cathodes can enhance the availability of H2 to support high-rate microbial reduction of CO2. Due to the low solubility of H2, the availability of H2 remains limited to the bacteria. In this study, we investigated the performances of Sporomusa ovata for CO2 reduction when dual cathodes were used together in an MES, one was regular carbon cathode, and the other was a titanium mesh that allows higher hydrogen evolution. The dual cathode configuration was investigated in two sets of MES, one set had the usual S. ovata inoculated graphite rod, and another set had a synthetic biofilm-imprinted carbon cloth. Additionally, the headspace gas in MES was recirculated to increase the H2 availability to the bacteria in suspension. High-rate CO2 reduction was observed at -0.9 V vs Ag/AgCl with dual cathode configuration as compared to single cathodes. High titers of acetate (up to ∼11 g/L) with maximum instantaneous rates of 0.68-0.7 g/L/d at -0.9 V vs Ag/AgCl were observed, which are higher than the production rates reported in the literatures for S. ovata using MES with surface modified cathodes. A high H2 availability supported the high-rate acetate production from CO2 with diminished electricity input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Bajracharya
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971-87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Adolf Krige
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971-87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Leonidas Matsakas
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971-87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Rova
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971-87, Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Paul Christakopoulos
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971-87, Luleå, Sweden
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19
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Ntagia E, Chatzigiannidou I, Carvajal-Arroyo JM, Arends JBA, Rabaey K. Continuous H 2/CO 2 fermentation for acetic acid production under transient and continuous sulfide inhibition. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 285:131536. [PMID: 34273695 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Waste gas fermentation powered by renewable H2 is reaching kiloton scale. The presence of sulfide, inherent to many waste gases, can cause inhibition, requiring additional gas treatment. In this work, acetogenesis and methanogenesis inhibition by sulfide were studied in a 10-L mixed-culture fermenter, supplied with CO2 and connected with a water electrolysis unit for electricity-powered H2 supply. Three cycles of inhibition (1.3 mM total dissolved sulfide (TDS)) and recovery were applied, then the fermenter was operated at 0.5 mM TDS for 35 days. During operation at 0.5 mM TDS the acetate production rate reached 7.1 ± 1.5 mmol C L-1 d-1. Furthermore, 43.7 ± 15.6% of the electrons, provided as H2, were distributed to acetate and 7.7 ± 4.1% to butyrate, the second most abundant fermentation product. Selectivity of sulfide as inhibitor was demonstrated by a 7 days lag-phase of methanogenesis recovery, compared to 48 h for acetogenesis and by the less than 1% electrons distribution to CH4, under 0.5 mM TDS. The microbial community was dominated by Eubacterium, Proteiniphilum and an unclassified member of the Eggerthellaceae family. The taxonomic diversity of the community decreased and conversely the phenotypic diversity increased, during operation. This work illustrated the scale-up potential of waste gas fermentations, by elucidating the effect of sulfide as a common gas impurity, and by demonstrating continuous, potentially renewable supply of electrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftheria Ntagia
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium; CAPTURE, www.capture-resources.be, Belgium
| | - Ioanna Chatzigiannidou
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Jose M Carvajal-Arroyo
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Jan B A Arends
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium; CAPTURE, www.capture-resources.be, Belgium
| | - Korneel Rabaey
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium; CAPTURE, www.capture-resources.be, Belgium.
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20
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Contreras-Dávila CA, Esveld J, Buisman CJN, Strik DPBTB. nZVI Impacts Substrate Conversion and Microbiome Composition in Chain Elongation From D- and L-Lactate Substrates. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:666582. [PMID: 34211964 PMCID: PMC8239352 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.666582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Medium-chain carboxylates (MCC) derived from biomass biorefining are attractive biochemicals to uncouple the production of a wide array of products from the use of non-renewable sources. Biological conversion of biomass-derived lactate during secondary fermentation can be steered to produce a variety of MCC through chain elongation. We explored the effects of zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) and lactate enantiomers on substrate consumption, product formation and microbiome composition in batch lactate-based chain elongation. In abiotic tests, nZVI supported chemical hydrolysis of lactate oligomers present in concentrated lactic acid. In fermentation experiments, nZVI created favorable conditions for either chain-elongating or propionate-producing microbiomes in a dose-dependent manner. Improved lactate conversion rates and n-caproate production were promoted at 0.5-2 g nZVI⋅L-1 while propionate formation became relevant at ≥ 3.5 g nZVI⋅L-1. Even-chain carboxylates (n-butyrate) were produced when using enantiopure and racemic lactate with lactate conversion rates increased in nZVI presence (1 g⋅L-1). Consumption of hydrogen and carbon dioxide was observed late in the incubations and correlated with acetate formation or substrate conversion to elongated products in the presence of nZVI. Lactate racemization was observed during chain elongation while isomerization to D-lactate was detected during propionate formation. Clostridium luticellarii, Caproiciproducens, and Ruminococcaceae related species were associated with n-valerate and n-caproate production while propionate was likely produced through the acrylate pathway by Clostridium novyi. The enrichment of different potential n-butyrate producers (Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Lachnospiraceae, Oscillibacter, Sedimentibacter) was affected by nZVI presence and concentrations. Possible theories and mechanisms underlying the effects of nZVI on substrate conversion and microbiome composition are discussed. An outlook is provided to integrate (bio)electrochemical systems to recycle (n)ZVI and provide an alternative reducing power agent as durable control method.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johan Esveld
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Cees J N Buisman
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - David P B T B Strik
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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21
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Cabau-Peinado O, Straathof AJJ, Jourdin L. A General Model for Biofilm-Driven Microbial Electrosynthesis of Carboxylates From CO 2. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:669218. [PMID: 34149654 PMCID: PMC8211901 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.669218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to now, computational modeling of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) has been underexplored, but is necessary to achieve breakthrough understanding of the process-limiting steps. Here, a general framework for modeling microbial kinetics in a MES reactor is presented. A thermodynamic approach is used to link microbial metabolism to the electrochemical reduction of an intracellular mediator, allowing to predict cellular growth and current consumption. The model accounts for CO2 reduction to acetate, and further elongation to n-butyrate and n-caproate. Simulation results were compared with experimental data obtained from different sources and proved the model is able to successfully describe microbial kinetics (growth, chain elongation, and product inhibition) and reactor performance (current density, organics titer). The capacity of the model to simulate different system configurations is also shown. Model results suggest CO2 dissolved concentration might be limiting existing MES systems, and highlight the importance of the delivery method utilized to supply it. Simulation results also indicate that for biofilm-driven reactors, continuous mode significantly enhances microbial growth and might allow denser biofilms to be formed and higher current densities to be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Cabau-Peinado
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Adrie J J Straathof
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Ludovic Jourdin
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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22
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Analysis of a Methanogen and an Actinobacterium Dominating the Thermophilic Microbial Community of an Electromethanogenic Biocathode. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 2021:8865133. [PMID: 33746613 PMCID: PMC7943316 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8865133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Electromethanogenesis refers to the bioelectrochemical synthesis of methane from CO2 by biocathodes. In an electromethanogenic system using thermophilic microorganisms, metagenomic analysis along with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that the biocathode microbiota was dominated by the methanogen Methanothermobacter sp. strain EMTCatA1 and the actinobacterium Coriobacteriaceae sp. strain EMTCatB1. RNA sequencing was used to compare the transcriptome profiles of each strain at the methane-producing biocathodes with those in an open circuit and with the methanogenesis inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BrES). For the methanogen, genes related to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis were highly expressed in a manner similar to those observed under H2-limited conditions. For the actinobacterium, the expression profiles of genes encoding multiheme c-type cytochromes and membrane-bound oxidoreductases suggested that the actinobacterium directly takes up electrons from the electrode. In both strains, various stress-related genes were commonly induced in the open-circuit biocathodes and biocathodes with BrES. This study provides a molecular inventory of the dominant species of an electromethanogenic biocathode with functional insights and therefore represents the first multiomics characterization of an electromethanogenic biocathode.
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23
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Yanuka-Golub K, Dubinsky V, Korenblum E, Reshef L, Ofek-Lalzar M, Rishpon J, Gophna U. Anode Surface Bioaugmentation Enhances Deterministic Biofilm Assembly in Microbial Fuel Cells. mBio 2021; 12:e03629-20. [PMID: 33653887 PMCID: PMC8092319 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03629-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) generate energy while aiding the biodegradation of waste through the activity of an electroactive mixed biofilm. Metabolic cooperation is essential for MFCs' efficiency, especially during early colonization. Thus, examining specific ecological processes that drive the assembly of anode biofilms is highly important for shortening startup times and improving MFC performance, making this technology cost-effective and sustainable. Here, we use metagenomics to show that bioaugmentation of the anode surface with a taxonomically defined electroactive consortium, dominated by Desulfuromonas, resulted in an extremely rapid current density generation. Conversely, the untreated anode surface resulted in a highly stochastic and slower biofilm assembly. Remarkably, an efficient anode colonization process was obtained only if wastewater was added, leading to a nearly complete replacement of the bioaugmented community by Geobacter lovleyi Although different approaches to improve MFC startup have been investigated, we propose that only the combination of anode bioaugmentation with wastewater inoculation can reduce stochasticity. Such an approach provides the conditions that support the growth of specific newly arriving species that positively support the fast establishment of a highly functional anode biofilm.IMPORTANCE Mixed microbial communities play important roles in treating wastewater, in producing renewable energy, and in the bioremediation of pollutants in contaminated environments. While these processes are well known, especially the community structure and biodiversity, how to efficiently and robustly manage microbial community assembly remains unknown. Moreover, it has been shown that a high degree of temporal variation in microbial community composition and structure often occurs even under identical environmental conditions. This heterogeneity is directly related to stochastic processes involved in microbial community organization, similarly during the initial stages of biofilm formation on surfaces. In this study, we show that anode surface pretreatment alone is not sufficient for a substantial improvement in startup times in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), as previously thought. Rather, we have discovered that the combination of applying a well-known consortium directly on the anode surface together with wastewater (including the bacteria that they contain) is the optimized management scheme. This allowed a selected colonization process by the wastewater species, which improved the functionality relative to that of untreated systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Yanuka-Golub
- The Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Vadim Dubinsky
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elisa Korenblum
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Leah Reshef
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Judith Rishpon
- The Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Uri Gophna
- The Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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24
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Fontmorin JM, Izadi P, Li D, Lim SS, Farooq S, Bilal SS, Cheng S, Yu EH. Gas diffusion electrodes modified with binary doped polyaniline for enhanced CO2 conversion during microbial electrosynthesis. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.137853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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25
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Seaver SMD, Liu F, Zhang Q, Jeffryes J, Faria JP, Edirisinghe JN, Mundy M, Chia N, Noor E, Beber M, Best AA, DeJongh M, Kimbrel JA, D’haeseleer P, McCorkle SR, Bolton JR, Pearson E, Canon S, Wood-Charlson EM, Cottingham RW, Arkin AP, Henry CS. The ModelSEED Biochemistry Database for the integration of metabolic annotations and the reconstruction, comparison and analysis of metabolic models for plants, fungi and microbes. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D575-D588. [PMID: 32986834 PMCID: PMC7778927 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
For over 10 years, ModelSEED has been a primary resource for the construction of draft genome-scale metabolic models based on annotated microbial or plant genomes. Now being released, the biochemistry database serves as the foundation of biochemical data underlying ModelSEED and KBase. The biochemistry database embodies several properties that, taken together, distinguish it from other published biochemistry resources by: (i) including compartmentalization, transport reactions, charged molecules and proton balancing on reactions; (ii) being extensible by the user community, with all data stored in GitHub; and (iii) design as a biochemical 'Rosetta Stone' to facilitate comparison and integration of annotations from many different tools and databases. The database was constructed by combining chemical data from many resources, applying standard transformations, identifying redundancies and computing thermodynamic properties. The ModelSEED biochemistry is continually tested using flux balance analysis to ensure the biochemical network is modeling-ready and capable of simulating diverse phenotypes. Ontologies can be designed to aid in comparing and reconciling metabolic reconstructions that differ in how they represent various metabolic pathways. ModelSEED now includes 33,978 compounds and 36,645 reactions, available as a set of extensible files on GitHub, and available to search at https://modelseed.org/biochem and KBase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M D Seaver
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Filipe Liu
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Qizhi Zhang
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - James Jeffryes
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - José P Faria
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Janaka N Edirisinghe
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Michael Mundy
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Nicholas Chia
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Elad Noor
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Moritz E Beber
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Aaron A Best
- Department of Biology, Hope College, Holland, MI 49423, USA
| | - Matthew DeJongh
- Department of Computer Science, Hope College, Holland, MI 49423, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Kimbrel
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Patrik D’haeseleer
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Sean R McCorkle
- Computational Science Initiative, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Jay R Bolton
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Erik Pearson
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Shane Canon
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elisha M Wood-Charlson
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Robert W Cottingham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Adam P Arkin
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher S Henry
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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Seaver SMD, Liu F, Zhang Q, Jeffryes J, Faria JP, Edirisinghe JN, Mundy M, Chia N, Noor E, Beber ME, Best AA, DeJongh M, Kimbrel JA, D'haeseleer P, McCorkle SR, Bolton JR, Pearson E, Canon S, Wood-Charlson EM, Cottingham RW, Arkin AP, Henry CS. The ModelSEED Biochemistry Database for the integration of metabolic annotations and the reconstruction, comparison and analysis of metabolic models for plants, fungi and microbes. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D1555. [PMID: 33179751 DOI: 10.1101/2020.03.31.018663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACTFor over ten years, ModelSEED has been a primary resource for the construction of draft genome-scale metabolic models based on annotated microbial or plant genomes. Now being released, the biochemistry database serves as the foundation of biochemical data underlying ModelSEED and KBase. The biochemistry database embodies several properties that, taken together, distinguish it from other published biochemistry resources by: (i) including compartmentalization, transport reactions, charged molecules and proton balancing on reactions;; (ii) being extensible by the user community, with all data stored in GitHub; and (iii) design as a biochemical “Rosetta Stone” to facilitate comparison and integration of annotations from many different tools and databases. The database was constructed by combining chemical data from many resources, applying standard transformations, identifying redundancies, and computing thermodynamic properties. The ModelSEED biochemistry is continually tested using flux balance analysis to ensure the biochemical network is modeling-ready and capable of simulating diverse phenotypes. Ontologies can be designed to aid in comparing and reconciling metabolic reconstructions that differ in how they represent various metabolic pathways. ModelSEED now includes 33,978 compounds and 36,645 reactions, available as a set of extensible files on GitHub, and available to search at https://modelseed.org and KBase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M D Seaver
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Filipe Liu
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Qizhi Zhang
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - James Jeffryes
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - José P Faria
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Janaka N Edirisinghe
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Michael Mundy
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Nicholas Chia
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Elad Noor
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Moritz E Beber
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Aaron A Best
- Department of Biology, Hope College, Holland, MI 49423, USA
| | - Matthew DeJongh
- Department of Computer Science, Hope College, Holland, MI 49423, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Kimbrel
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Patrik D'haeseleer
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Sean R McCorkle
- Computational Science Initiative, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Jay R Bolton
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Erik Pearson
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Shane Canon
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elisha M Wood-Charlson
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Robert W Cottingham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Adam P Arkin
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher S Henry
- Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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Isipato M, Dessì P, Sánchez C, Mills S, Ijaz UZ, Asunis F, Spiga D, De Gioannis G, Mascia M, Collins G, Muntoni A, Lens PNL. Propionate Production by Bioelectrochemically-Assisted Lactate Fermentation and Simultaneous CO 2 Recycling. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:599438. [PMID: 33384675 PMCID: PMC7769879 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.599438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), fundamental building blocks for the chemical industry, depends on fossil fuels but organic waste is an emerging alternative substrate. Lactate produced from sugar-containing waste streams can be further processed to VFAs. In this study, electrofermentation (EF) in a two-chamber cell is proposed to enhance propionate production via lactate fermentation. At an initial pH of 5, an applied potential of −1 V vs. Ag/AgCl favored propionate production over butyrate from 20 mM lactate (with respect to non-electrochemical control incubations), due to the pH buffering effect of the cathode electrode, with production rates up to 5.9 mM d–1 (0.44 g L–1 d–1). Microbial community analysis confirmed the enrichment of propionate-producing microorganisms, such as Tyzzerella sp. and Propionibacterium sp. Organisms commonly found in microbial electrosynthesis reactors, such as Desulfovibrio sp. and Acetobacterium sp., were also abundant at the cathode, indicating their involvement in recycling CO2 produced by lactate fermentation into acetate, as confirmed by stoichiometric calculations. Propionate was the main product of lactate fermentation at substrate concentrations up to 150 mM, with a highest production rate of 12.9 mM d–1 (0.96 g L–1 d–1) and a yield of 0.48 mol mol–1 lactate consumed. Furthermore, as high as 81% of the lactate consumed (in terms of carbon) was recovered as soluble product, highlighting the potential for EF application with high-carbon waste streams, such as cheese whey or other food wastes. In summary, EF can be applied to control lactate fermentation toward propionate production and to recycle the resulting CO2 into acetate, increasing the VFA yield and avoiding carbon emissions and addition of chemicals for pH control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Isipato
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Paolo Dessì
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Carlos Sánchez
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Simon Mills
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Umer Z Ijaz
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fabiano Asunis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniela Spiga
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giorgia De Gioannis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,IGAG-CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council-Piazza D'Armi 1, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michele Mascia
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Chimica, e dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gavin Collins
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Aldo Muntoni
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,IGAG-CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council-Piazza D'Armi 1, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Piet N L Lens
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Jourdin L, Burdyny T. Microbial Electrosynthesis: Where Do We Go from Here? Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:359-369. [PMID: 33279279 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The valorization of CO2 to valuable products via microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a technology transcending the disciplines of microbiology, (electro)chemistry, and engineering, bringing opportunities and challenges. As the field looks to the future, further emphasis is expected to be placed on engineering efficient reactors for biocatalysts, to thrive and overcome factors which may be limiting performance. Meanwhile, ample opportunities exist to take the lessons learned in traditional and adjacent electrochemical fields to shortcut learning curves. As the technology transitions into the next decade, research into robust and adaptable biocatalysts will then be necessary as reactors shape into larger and more efficient configurations, as well as presenting more extreme temperature, salinity, and pressure conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Jourdin
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Thomas Burdyny
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
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Dessì P, Rovira-Alsina L, Sánchez C, Dinesh GK, Tong W, Chatterjee P, Tedesco M, Farràs P, Hamelers HMV, Puig S. Microbial electrosynthesis: Towards sustainable biorefineries for production of green chemicals from CO 2 emissions. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 46:107675. [PMID: 33276075 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Decarbonisation of the economy has become a priority at the global level, and the resulting legislative pressure is pushing the chemical and energy industries away from fossil fuels. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) has emerged as a promising technology to promote this transition, which will further benefit from the decreasing cost of renewable energy. However, several technological challenges need to be addressed before the MES technology can reach its maturity. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the bottlenecks hampering the industrial adoption of MES, considering the whole production process (from the CO2 source to the marketable products), and indicate future directions. A flexible stack design, with flat or tubular MES modules and direct CO2 supply, is required for site-specific decentralised applications. The experience gained for scaling-up electrochemical cells (e.g. electrolysers) can serve as a guideline for realising pilot MES stacks to be technologically and economically evaluated in industrially relevant conditions. Maximising CO2 abatement rate by targeting high-rate production of acetate can promote adoption of MES technology in the short term. However, the development of a replicable and robust strategy for production and in-line extraction of higher-value products (e.g. caproic acid and hexanol) at the cathode, and meaningful exploitation of the currently overlooked anodic reactions, can further boost MES cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the use of energy storage and smart electronics can alleviate the fluctuations of renewable energy supply. Despite the unresolved challenges, the flexible MES technology can be applied to decarbonise flue gas from different sources, to upgrade industrial and wastewater treatment plants, and to produce a wide array of green and sustainable chemicals. The combination of these benefits can support the industrial adoption of MES over competing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Dessì
- School of Chemistry and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland.
| | - Laura Rovira-Alsina
- LEQUiA, Institute of the Environment, University of Girona. Campus Montilivi, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, E-17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Carlos Sánchez
- Microbiology Department, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - G Kumaravel Dinesh
- School of Chemistry and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Wenming Tong
- School of Chemistry and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Pritha Chatterjee
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Michele Tedesco
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911, MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Pau Farràs
- School of Chemistry and Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Hubertus M V Hamelers
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911, MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastià Puig
- LEQUiA, Institute of the Environment, University of Girona. Campus Montilivi, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, E-17003, Girona, Spain
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Dessì P, Sánchez C, Mills S, Cocco FG, Isipato M, Ijaz UZ, Collins G, Lens PNL. Carboxylic acids production and electrosynthetic microbial community evolution under different CO 2 feeding regimens. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 137:107686. [PMID: 33142136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a potential technology for CO2 recycling, but insufficient information is available on the microbial interactions underpinning electrochemically-assisted reactions. In this study, a MES reactor was operated for 225 days alternately with bicarbonate or CO2 as carbon source, under batch or continuous feeding regimens, to evaluate the response of the microbial communities, and their productivity, to dynamic operating conditions. A stable acetic acid production rate of 9.68 g m-2 d-1, and coulombic efficiency up to 40%, was achieved with continuous CO2 sparging, higher than the rates obtained with bicarbonate (0.94 g m-2 d-1) and CO2 under fed-batch conditions (2.54 g m-2 d-1). However, the highest butyric acid production rate (0.39 g m-2 d-1) was achieved with intermittent CO2 sparging. The microbial community analyses focused on differential amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), allowing detection of ASVs significantly different across consecutive samples. This analysis, combined with co-occurence network analysis, and cyclic voltammetry, indicated that hydrogen-mediated acetogenesis was carried out by Clostridium, Eubacterium and Acetobacterium, whereas Oscillibacter and Caproiciproducens were involved in butyric acid production. The cathodic community was spatially inhomogeneous, with potential electrotrophs, such as Sulfurospirillum and Desulfovibrio, most prevalent near the current collector. The abundance of Sulfurospirillum positively correlated with that of Acetobacterium, supporting the syntrophic metabolism of both organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Dessì
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland.
| | - Carlos Sánchez
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Simon Mills
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Francesco Giuseppe Cocco
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Isipato
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Umer Z Ijaz
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Collins
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Piet N L Lens
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
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Chen H, Simoska O, Lim K, Grattieri M, Yuan M, Dong F, Lee YS, Beaver K, Weliwatte S, Gaffney EM, Minteer SD. Fundamentals, Applications, and Future Directions of Bioelectrocatalysis. Chem Rev 2020; 120:12903-12993. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Olja Simoska
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Koun Lim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Matteo Grattieri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Mengwei Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Fangyuan Dong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Yoo Seok Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kevin Beaver
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Samali Weliwatte
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Erin M. Gaffney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Shelley D. Minteer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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Izadi P, Fontmorin JM, Godain A, Yu EH, Head IM. Parameters influencing the development of highly conductive and efficient biofilm during microbial electrosynthesis: the importance of applied potential and inorganic carbon source. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2020; 6:40. [PMID: 33056998 PMCID: PMC7560852 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-020-00151-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cathode-driven applications of bio-electrochemical systems (BESs) have the potential to transform CO2 into value-added chemicals using microorganisms. However, their commercialisation is limited as biocathodes in BESs are characterised by slow start-up and low efficiency. Understanding biosynthesis pathways, electron transfer mechanisms and the effect of operational variables on microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is of fundamental importance to advance these applications of a system that has the capacity to convert CO2 to organics and is potentially sustainable. In this work, we demonstrate that cathodic potential and inorganic carbon source are keys for the development of a dense and conductive biofilm that ensures high efficiency in the overall system. Applying the cathodic potential of -1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl and providing only gaseous CO2 in our system, a dense biofilm dominated by Acetobacterium (ca. 50% of biofilm) was formed. The superior biofilm density was significantly correlated with a higher production yield of organic chemicals, particularly acetate. Together, a significant decrease in the H2 evolution overpotential (by 200 mV) and abundant nifH genes within the biofilm were observed. This can only be mechanistically explained if intracellular hydrogen production with direct electron uptake from the cathode via nitrogenase within bacterial cells is occurring in addition to the commonly observed extracellular H2 production. Indeed, the enzymatic activity within the biofilm accelerated the electron transfer. This was evidenced by an increase in the coulombic efficiency (ca. 69%) and a 10-fold decrease in the charge transfer resistance. This is the first report of such a significant decrease in the charge resistance via the development of a highly conductive biofilm during MES. The results highlight the fundamental importance of maintaining a highly active autotrophic Acetobacterium population through feeding CO2 in gaseous form, which its dominance in the biocathode leads to a higher efficiency of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paniz Izadi
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Alexiane Godain
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Eileen H Yu
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
| | - Ian M Head
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Song TS, Fu L, Wan N, Wu J, Xie J. Hydrothermal synthesis of MoS2 nanoflowers for an efficient microbial electrosynthesis of acetate from CO2. J CO2 UTIL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2020.101231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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34
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Gupta D, Guzman MS, Bose A. Extracellular electron uptake by autotrophic microbes: physiological, ecological, and evolutionary implications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 47:863-876. [DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02309-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Microbes exchange electrons with their extracellular environment via direct or indirect means. This exchange is bidirectional and supports essential microbial oxidation–reduction processes, such as respiration and photosynthesis. The microbial capacity to use electrons from insoluble electron donors, such as redox-active minerals, poised electrodes, or even other microbial cells is called extracellular electron uptake (EEU). Autotrophs with this capability can thrive in nutrient and soluble electron donor-deficient environments. As primary producers, autotrophic microbes capable of EEU greatly impact microbial ecology and play important roles in matter and energy flow in the biosphere. In this review, we discuss EEU-driven autotrophic metabolisms, their mechanism and physiology, and highlight their ecological, evolutionary, and biotechnological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Gupta
- grid.4367.6 0000 0001 2355 7002 Department of Biology Washington University in St. Louis One Brookings Drive 63130 St. Louis MO USA
| | - Michael S Guzman
- grid.250008.f 0000 0001 2160 9702 Biosciences and Biotechnology Division Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore CA USA
| | - Arpita Bose
- grid.4367.6 0000 0001 2355 7002 Department of Biology Washington University in St. Louis One Brookings Drive 63130 St. Louis MO USA
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Abstract
Acetogens are anaerobic bacteria capable of fixing CO2 or CO to produce acetyl-CoA and ultimately acetate using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). This autotrophic metabolism plays a major role in the global carbon cycle and, if harnessed, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the data presented here provide a framework for examining the ecology and evolution of the Acetobacterium genus and highlight the potential of these species as a source for production of fuels and chemicals from CO2 feedstocks. Acetogens are anaerobic bacteria capable of fixing CO2 or CO to produce acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and ultimately acetate using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). Acetobacterium woodii is the type strain of the Acetobacterium genus and has been critical for understanding the biochemistry and energy conservation in acetogens. Members of the Acetobacterium genus have been isolated from a variety of environments or have had genomes recovered from metagenome data, but no systematic investigation has been done on the unique and various metabolisms of the genus. To gain a better appreciation for the metabolic breadth of the genus, we sequenced the genomes of 4 isolates (A. fimetarium, A. malicum, A. paludosum, and A. tundrae) and conducted a comparative genome analysis (pan-genome) of 11 different Acetobacterium genomes. A unifying feature of the Acetobacterium genus is the carbon-fixing WLP. The methyl (cluster II) and carbonyl (cluster III) branches of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway are highly conserved across all sequenced Acetobacterium genomes, but cluster I encoding the formate dehydrogenase is not. In contrast to A. woodii, all but four strains encode two distinct Rnf clusters, Rnf being the primary respiratory enzyme complex. Metabolism of fructose, lactate, and H2:CO2 was conserved across the genus, but metabolism of ethanol, methanol, caffeate, and 2,3-butanediol varied. Additionally, clade-specific metabolic potential was observed, such as amino acid transport and metabolism in the psychrophilic species, and biofilm formation in the A. wieringae clade, which may afford these groups an advantage in low-temperature growth or attachment to solid surfaces, respectively. IMPORTANCE Acetogens are anaerobic bacteria capable of fixing CO2 or CO to produce acetyl-CoA and ultimately acetate using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). This autotrophic metabolism plays a major role in the global carbon cycle and, if harnessed, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the data presented here provide a framework for examining the ecology and evolution of the Acetobacterium genus and highlight the potential of these species as a source for production of fuels and chemicals from CO2 feedstocks.
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Raes SMT, Jourdin L, Buisman CJN, Strik DPBTB. Bioelectrochemical Chain Elongation of Short‐Chain Fatty Acids Creates Steering Opportunities for Selective Formation ofn‐Butyrate,n‐Valerate orn‐Caproate. ChemistrySelect 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202002001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanne M. T. Raes
- Environmental TechnologyWageningen University and Research, Axis-Z Bornse Weilanden 9 6708 WG Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Ludovic Jourdin
- Environmental TechnologyWageningen University and Research, Axis-Z Bornse Weilanden 9 6708 WG Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Cees J. N. Buisman
- Environmental TechnologyWageningen University and Research, Axis-Z Bornse Weilanden 9 6708 WG Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - David P. B. T. B. Strik
- Environmental TechnologyWageningen University and Research, Axis-Z Bornse Weilanden 9 6708 WG Wageningen The Netherlands
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Luo H, Qi J, Zhou M, Liu G, Lu Y, Zhang R, Zeng C. Enhanced electron transfer on microbial electrosynthesis biocathode by polypyrrole-coated acetogens. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 309:123322. [PMID: 32305841 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a significant pathway to transport electrons between bacteria and electrode in microbial electrosynthesis systems (MESs). To enhance EET in the MES, a high-conductivity polymer, polypyrrole (PPy), was coated on the surface of mixed culture acetogens in situ and the PPy-coated bacteria were inoculated on the cathode of MES. The charge transfer resistance of PPy-coated biocathode was 33%-70% of that with PPy-uncoated. Acetate production rate and Faradic efficiency in PPy-coated biocathodes increased by 3 to 6 times. After 960 h operation, Acetobacterium, Desulfovibrio, and Acinetobacter dominate the community on the coated and uncoated biocathode. Quinone loop and NADH dehydrogenase to ubiquinone were involved in electron transfer pathway of biocathode and stimulated by PPy coating. Low-level expression of C-type cytochromes on biocathode indicated its less important role in inward EET. The study provided useful information for applications of high-conductivity chemicals in microbial electrosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiping Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Jiaxin Qi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Meizhou Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Guangli Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yaobin Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Renduo Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Cuiping Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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Tian S, He J, Huang H, Song TS, Wu X, Xie J, Zhou W. Perovskite-Based Multifunctional Cathode with Simultaneous Supplementation of Substrates and Electrons for Enhanced Microbial Electrosynthesis of Organics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:30449-30456. [PMID: 32558536 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c07910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is an electricity-driven technology for the microbial reduction of CO2 to organic commodities. However, the limited solubility of CO2 in a solution and the inefficient electron transfer make it impossible for microorganisms to obtain an efficient surface for catalytic interaction, thus resulting in the low efficiency of MES. To address this, we introduce a multifunctional perovskite-based cathode material Pr0.5(Ba0.5Sr0.5)0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ-carbon felt (Pr0.5BSCF-CF), which provides a simultaneously significant increase in CO2 absorption and hydrogen production. As a result, the volumetric acetate production rate of MES obtained by Pr0.5BSCF-CF is 0.24 ± 0.01 g L-1 day-1, and it achieves a maximum acetate titer of 13.74 ± 0.20 g L-1 within 70 days. An adequate supply of CO2 and H2 also provides a sufficient amount of substrates and energy for the self-replication of the biocatalysts in the MES reactor. This effect not only increases the amount of biocatalysts but also optimizes the functions of the biocatalysts; the above benefits further improve the production efficiency of the MES system. This strategy demonstrates that the development of perovskite-based multifunctional cathodes with a simultaneous supplementation of substrates and electrons is a promising approach toward improving the MES efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Juan He
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Haifeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Tian-Shun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Science & Technology Development, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China
| | - Xinhao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Jingjing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Science & Technology Development, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China
- Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
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Bian B, Bajracharya S, Xu J, Pant D, Saikaly PE. Microbial electrosynthesis from CO 2: Challenges, opportunities and perspectives in the context of circular bioeconomy. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 302:122863. [PMID: 32019708 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Recycling CO2 into organic products through microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is attractive from the perspective of circular bioeconomy. However, several challenges need to be addressed before scaling-up MES systems. In this review, recent advances in electrode materials, microbe-catalyzed CO2 reduction and MES energy consumption are discussed in detail. Anode materials are briefly reviewed first, with several strategies proposed to reduce the energy input for electron generation and enhance MES bioeconomy. This was followed by discussions on MES cathode materials and configurations for enhanced chemolithoautotroph growth and CO2 reduction. Various chemolithoautotrophs, effective for CO2 reduction and diverse bioproduct formation, on MES cathode were also discussed. Finally, research efforts on developing cost-effective process for bioproduct extraction from MES are presented. Future perspectives to improve product formation and reduce energy cost are discussed to realize the application of the MES as a chemical production platform in the context of building a circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Bian
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal 23955 6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suman Bajracharya
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal 23955 6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jiajie Xu
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal 23955 6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Deepak Pant
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, Mol 2400, Belgium; Centre for Advanced Process Technology for Urban Resource Recovery (CAPTURE), 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pascal E Saikaly
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal 23955 6900, Saudi Arabia.
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Bakonyi P, Peter J, Koter S, Mateos R, Kumar G, Koók L, Rózsenberszki T, Pientka Z, Kujawski W, Kim SH, Nemestóthy N, Bélafi-Bakó K, Pant D. Possibilities for the biologically-assisted utilization of CO2-rich gaseous waste streams generated during membrane technological separation of biohydrogen. J CO2 UTIL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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From an extremophilic community to an electroautotrophic production strain: identifying a novel Knallgas bacterium as cathodic biofilm biocatalyst. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:1125-1140. [PMID: 31996786 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0595-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Coupling microbial electrosynthesis to renewable energy sources can provide a promising future technology for carbon dioxide conversion. However, this technology suffers from a limited number of suitable biocatalysts, resulting in a narrow product range. Here, we present the characterization of the first thermoacidophilic electroautotrophic community using chronoamperometric, metagenomic, and 13C-labeling analyses. The cathodic biofilm showed current consumption of up to -80 µA cm-2 over a period of 90 days (-350 mV vs. SHE). Metagenomic analyses identified members of the genera Moorella, Desulfofundulus, Thermodesulfitimonas, Sulfolobus, and Acidianus as potential primary producers of the biofilm, potentially thriving via an interspecies sulfur cycle. Hydrogenases seem to be key for cathodic electron uptake. An isolation campaign led to a pure culture of a Knallgas bacterium from this community. Growth of this organism on cathodes led to increasing reductive currents over time. Transcriptomic analyses revealed a distinct gene expression profile of cells grown at a cathode. Moreover, pressurizable flow cells combined with optical coherence tomography allowed an in situ observation of cathodic biofilm growth. Autotrophic growth was confirmed via isotope analysis. As a natural polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producer, this novel species, Kyrpidia spormannii, coupled the production of PHB to CO2 fixation on cathode surfaces.
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42
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LaBelle EV, Marshall CW, May HD. Microbiome for the Electrosynthesis of Chemicals from Carbon Dioxide. Acc Chem Res 2020; 53:62-71. [PMID: 31809012 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.9b00522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The price for renewable electricity is rapidly decreasing, and the availability of such energy is expected to increase in the coming years. This is a welcomed outcome considering that mitigation of climate disruption due to the use of fossil carbon is reaching a critical stage. However, the economy will remain dependent on carbon-based chemicals and the problem of electricity storage persists. Therefore, the development of electrosynthetic processes that convert electricity and CO2 into chemicals and energy dense fuels, perhaps even food, would be desirable. Electrochemistry has been applied to the manufacture of many valuable products and at a large industrial scale, but it is difficult to produce multicarbon chemicals from CO2 by chemistry alone. Being that the biological world possesses expertise at the construction of C-C bonds, it is being examined in conjunction with electrochemistry to discover new ways of synthesizing chemicals from electricity and CO2. One approach is microbial electrosynthesis. This Account describes the development of a microbial electrosynthesis system by the authors. A biocathode consisting of a carbon-based electrode and a microbial community produced short chain fatty acids, primarily acetate. The device works by electrolysis of water, but microbes facilitate electron transfer from the cathode while reducing CO2 by the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway possessed by an Acetobacterium sp. While this acetogenic microorganism dominates the microbiome growing on the cathode surface, 13 total species of microbes overall were ecologically selected on the cathode and genomes for each have been assembled. The combined species may contribute to the stability of the microbiome, a common feature of naturally selected microbial communities. The microbial electrosynthesis system was demonstrated to operate continuously at a cathode for more than 2 years and could also be used with intermittent power, thus demonstrating the stability of the microbiome living at the cathode. In addition to the description of reactor design and startup procedures, the possible mechanisms of electron transfer are described in this Account. While mysteries remain to be solved, much evidence indicates that the microbiome may facilitate electron transfer by supplying catalyst(s) external to the bacterial cells and onto the cathode surface. This may be in the form of a hydrogen-producing catalyst that enhances hydrogen generation by an inert carbon-based electrode. Through the enrichment of the electrosynthetic microbiome along with several modifications in reactor design and operation, the productivity and efficiency were improved. In addition to the intrinsic value of the current products, coupling the process with a secondary stage might be used to produce more valuable products from the acetic acid stream such as lipids, biocrude oil, or higher value food supplements. Alternatively, additional work on the mechanism of electron transfer, reactor design/operation, and modification of the microbes through synthetic biology, particularly to enhance carbon efficiency into higher value chemicals, are the needed next steps to advance microbial electrosynthesis so that it may be used to transform renewable electrons and CO2 directly into products and help solve the problem of climate disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward V. LaBelle
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Christopher W. Marshall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, United States
| | - Harold D. May
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States
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Philips J. Extracellular Electron Uptake by Acetogenic Bacteria: Does H 2 Consumption Favor the H 2 Evolution Reaction on a Cathode or Metallic Iron? Front Microbiol 2020; 10:2997. [PMID: 31998274 PMCID: PMC6966493 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Some acetogenic bacteria are capable of using solid electron donors, such as a cathode or metallic iron [Fe(0)]. Acetogens using a cathode as electron donor are of interest for novel applications such as microbial electrosynthesis, while microorganisms using Fe(0) as electron donor cause detrimental microbial induced corrosion. The capacity to use solid electron donors strongly differs between acetogenic strains, which likely relates to their extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanism. Different EET mechanisms have been proposed for acetogenic bacteria, including a direct mechanism and a H2 dependent indirect mechanism combined with extracellular hydrogenases catalyzing the H2 evolution reaction on the cathode or Fe(0) surface. Interestingly, low H2 partial pressures often prevail during acetogenesis with solid electron donors. Hence, an additional mechanism is here proposed: the maintenance of low H2 partial pressures by microbial H2 consumption, which thermodynamically favors the H2 evolution reaction on the cathode or Fe(0) surface. This work elaborates how the H2 partial pressure affects the H2 evolution onset potential and the H2 evolution rate on a cathode, as well as the free energy change of the anoxic corrosion reaction. In addition, the H2 consumption characteristics, i.e., H2 threshold (thermodynamic limit for H2 consumption) and H2 consumption kinetic parameters, of acetogenic bacteria are reviewed and evidence is discussed for strongly different H2 consumption characteristics. Different acetogenic strains are thus expected to maintain different H2 partial pressures on a cathode or Fe(0) surface, while those that maintain lower H2 partial pressures (lower H2 threshold, higher H2 affinity) more strongly increase the H2 evolution reaction. Consequently, I hypothesize that the different capacities of acetogenic bacteria to use solid electron donors are related to differences in their H2 consumption characteristics. The focus of this work is on acetogenic bacteria, but similar considerations are likely also relevant for other hydrogenotrophic microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Philips
- Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Alqahtani MF, Bajracharya S, Katuri KP, Ali M, Ragab A, Michoud G, Daffonchio D, Saikaly PE. Enrichment of Marinobacter sp. and Halophilic Homoacetogens at the Biocathode of Microbial Electrosynthesis System Inoculated With Red Sea Brine Pool. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2563. [PMID: 31787955 PMCID: PMC6855130 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Homoacetogens are efficient CO2 fixing bacteria using H2 as electron donor to produce acetate. These organisms can be enriched at the biocathode of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) for electricity-driven CO2 reduction to acetate. Studies exploring homoacetogens in MES are mainly conducted using pure or mix-culture anaerobic inocula from samples with standard environmental conditions. Extreme marine environments host unique microbial communities including homoacetogens that may have unique capabilities due to their adaptation to harsh environmental conditions. Anaerobic deep-sea brine pools are hypersaline and metalliferous environments and homoacetogens can be expected to live in these environments due to their remarkable metabolic flexibility and energy-efficient biosynthesis. However, brine pools have never been explored as inocula for the enrichment of homacetogens in MES. Here we used the saline water from a Red Sea brine pool as inoculum for the enrichment of halophilic homoacetogens at the biocathode (-1 V vs. Ag/AgCl) of MES. Volatile fatty acids, especially acetate, along with hydrogen gas were produced in MES systems operated at 25 and 10% salinity. Acetate concentration increased when MES was operated at a lower salinity ∼3.5%, representing typical seawater salinity. Amplicon sequencing and genome-centric metagenomics of matured cathodic biofilm showed dominance of the genus Marinobacter and phylum Firmicutes at all tested salinities. Seventeen high-quality draft metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were extracted from the biocathode samples. The recovered MAGs accounted for 87 ± 4% of the quality filtered sequence reads. Genome analysis of the MAGs suggested CO2 fixation via Wood-Ljundahl pathway by members of the phylum Firmicutes and the fixed CO2 was possibly utilized by Marinobacter sp. for growth by consuming O2 escaping from the anode to the cathode for respiration. The enrichment of Marinobacter sp. with homoacetogens was only possible because of the specific cathodic environment in MES. These findings suggest that in organic carbon-limited saline environments, Marinobacter spp. can live in consortia with CO2 fixing bacteria such as homoacetogens, which can provide them with fixed carbon as a source of carbon and energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal F Alqahtani
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suman Bajracharya
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Krishna P Katuri
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Ali
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ala'a Ragab
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Grégoire Michoud
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Daniele Daffonchio
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pascal E Saikaly
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Emerson DF, Stephanopoulos G. Limitations in converting waste gases to fuels and chemicals. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 59:39-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Experimental evaluation of the influential factors of acetate production driven by a DC power system via CO2 reduction through microbial electrosynthesis. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2019. [DOI: 10.1186/s40643-019-0265-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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Blázquez E, Gabriel D, Baeza JA, Guisasola A, Freguia S, Ledezma P. Recovery of elemental sulfur with a novel integrated bioelectrochemical system with an electrochemical cell. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 677:175-183. [PMID: 31055098 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Several industrial activities produce wastewater with high sulfate content that can cause significant environmental issues. Although bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) have recently been studied for the treatment of sulfate contained in this wastewater, the recovery of elemental sulfur with BESs is still in its beginnings. This work proposes a new reactor configuration named BES-EC, consisting of the coupling of a BES with an electrochemical cell (EC), to treat this type of wastewater and recover elemental sulfur. The reactor consisted of four electrodes: i) an abiotic anode, ii) a biocathode for the autotrophic sulfate reduction, iii) an anode of an electrochemical cell (EC) for the partial oxidation of sulfide to elemental sulfur (the biocathode and the EC anode were placed in the same chamber) and iv) an abiotic EC cathode. Several cathode potentials and sulfate loads were tested, obtaining high sulfate removal rates (up to 888 mg SO42--S L-1 d-1 at -0.9 V vs. SHE with a specific energy consumption of 9.18 ± 0.80 kWh kg-1 SO42--S). Exceptionally high theoretical elemental sulfur production rates (up to 498 mg S0-S L-1 d-1) were achieved with the EC controlled at a current density of 2.5 A m-2. Electron recovery around 80% was observed throughout most of the operation of the integrated system. In addition, short experiments were performed at different current densities, observing that sulfate removal did not increase proportionally to the higher applied current density. However, when the BES was controlled at 30 A m-2 and the EC at 7.5 A m-2, the proportion of elemental sulfur produced corresponded to 92.9 ± 1.9% of all sulfate removed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Blázquez
- GENOCOV, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Gabriel
- GENOCOV, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Baeza
- GENOCOV, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Guisasola
- GENOCOV, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefano Freguia
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Pablo Ledezma
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Brisbane, Australia.
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Glaven SM. Bioelectrochemical systems and synthetic biology: more power, more products. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 12:819-823. [PMID: 31264368 PMCID: PMC6680619 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Glaven
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
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49
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de Smit SM, de Leeuw KD, Buisman CJN, Strik DPBTB. Continuous n-valerate formation from propionate and methanol in an anaerobic chain elongation open-culture bioreactor. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:132. [PMID: 31149028 PMCID: PMC6535856 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1468-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chain elongation forms a new platform technology for the circular production of biobased chemicals from renewable carbon and energy sources. This study aimed to develop a continuous methanol-based chain elongation process for the open-culture production of a new-generation biofuel precursor and potential platform chemical: n-valerate. Propionate was used as a substrate for chain elongation to n-valerate in an anaerobic open-culture bioreactor. In addition, the co-production of n- and iso-butyrate in addition to n-valerate via, respectively, acetate and propionate elongation was investigated. RESULTS n-Valerate was produced during batch and continuous experiments with a pH in the range 5.5-5.8 and a hydraulic retention time of 95 h. Decreasing the pH from 5.8 to 5.5 caused an increase of the selectivity for n-valerate formation (from 58 up to 70 wt%) during methanol-based propionate elongation. n-Valerate and both n- and iso-butyrate were produced during simultaneous methanol-based elongation of propionate and acetate. Propionate was within the open-culture preferred over acetate as a substrate with 10-30% more consumption. Increasing the methanol concentration in the influent (from 250 to 400 mM) resulted in a higher productivity (from 45 to 58 mmol C/L/day), but a lower relative product selectivity (from 49 to 43 wt%) of n-valerate. The addition of acetate as a substrate did not change the average n-valerate productivities. Within the continuous bioreactor experiments, 6 to 17 wt% of formed products was methane. The microbial community during all steady-states in both methanol-based elongation bioreactors was dominated by species related to Clostridium luticellarii and Candidatus Methanogranum. C. luticellarii is the main candidate for n-valerate formation from methanol and propionate. CONCLUSIONS n-Valerate was for the first time proven to be produced from propionate and methanol by an open-culture bioreactor. Methanogenic activity can be inhibited by decreasing the pH, and the n-valerate productivity can be improved by increasing the methanol concentration. The developed process can be integrated with various biorefinery processes from thermochemical, (bio)electrochemical, photovoltaic and microbial technologies. The findings from this study form a useful tool to steer the process of biological production of chemicals from biomass and other carbon and energy sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne M. de Smit
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Axis-Z, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kasper D. de Leeuw
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Axis-Z, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cees J. N. Buisman
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Axis-Z, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - David P. B. T. B. Strik
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Axis-Z, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Cai W, Liu W, Zhang Z, Feng K, Ren G, Pu C, Li J, Deng Y, Wang A. Electro-driven methanogenic microbial community diversity and variability in the electron abundant niche. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 661:178-186. [PMID: 30669050 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The underlying dynamics of microbial (bacteria and archaea) communities ecologically responding to an applied potential are critical to achieving the goal of enhancing bioenergy recovery but are not sufficiently understood. We built a MEC-AD mode that increased methane production rate by several times (max. 3.8 times) during the startup period compared to control AD, changed the absence or presence of external voltage to provide the pre-, dur-, and post- samples for microbial analysis. From a time and spatially dependent community analysis of electrode-respiring bacteria and methanogens, the corresponding Geobacter developed under the influence of external voltage, pairing with methanogens in the anodic and cathodic biofilm to generate methane. Additionally, at the cathode, the Alkaliphilus (basophilic bacteria) also correspondingly shifted alongside the change of external voltage. The mcrA sequencing confirmed a change in the dominant microbe from acetoclastic (mostly Methanosarcina mazei LYC) to hydrogenotrophic methanogens (mostly basophilic Methanobacterium alcaliphilum) at the cathode with 0.8 V voltage. Overall, the external voltage not only enriched the functional microbes including electrogens and methanogens but also indirectly shifted the composition of the bacterial and archaeal community via disturbing the pH condition. The predictive functional profiling indicated that the cathodic methanogenesis principally followed the metabolism pathway of the hydrogenotrophic methanogens, suggesting the F420 co-enzyme could be the key mediate for electron transfer. All data suggested that the electric stimulation would change and maintain the micro-environmental conditions to shift the bacterial/archaeal community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Cai
- School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Wenzong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Zhaojing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Kai Feng
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ge Ren
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Chuanliang Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ye Deng
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Aijie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (SKLUWRE, HIT), Harbin 150090, China
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