Electricity generation coupled to oxidation of propionate in a microbial fuel cell.
Propionate was used as fuel to enrich an electrochemically-active microbial consortium in a microbial fuel cell, and the bacterial consortium was analyzed by culture-independent methods including denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the 16S rDNA, and by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). MFCs fed with propionate produced a current of 4.88 +/- 0.1 mA stably on 100 mg propionate/l as COD within 3 weeks of the enrichment. When the MFCs were fed with H2-saturated fuel containing propionate, the current dropped to 3.82 +/- 0.07 mA. The maximum current generated was up to 8.8 mA when MFCs were fed with 200 mg propionate/l as COD. The DGGE of 16S rDNA showed that propionate- enriched MFCs have a different bacterial population from that enriched with acetate and from the inoculum used for enrichment. The major member (42%) of the consortium was an unidentified bacterium followed by c, b, and d-proteobacteria.
Jang
Jae Kyung
JK
Energy and Environmental Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-707, Korea.
Chang
In Seop
IS
Hwang
Hwa Yeon
HY
Choo
Yeng Fung
YF
Lee
JiYoung
J
Cho
Kyung Suk
KS
Kim
Byung Hong
BH
Nealson
Kenneth H
KH
D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D020564:Deltaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004586:Electrophoresis; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011422:Propionates / Q000378:metabolism*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods
D000085:Acetates; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D011422:Propionates; D006859:Hydrogen