title: Comparison of Escherichia coli and anaerobic consortia derived from compost as anodic biocatalysts in a glycerol-oxidizing microbial fuel cell.
abstract: Using glycerol from biodiesel production as a fuel in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) will generate electricity and value-added by-products from what is currently considered waste. This research screened Escherichia coli W3110 (ATCC 27325) and a mixed culture enriched from compost (AR2) as anodic biocatalysts in a mediatorless glycerol-oxidizing MFC. In an H-type MFC, the mixed culture AR2 biocatalyst produced a maximum power density of 11.7mWm(-2) compared to 9.8mWm(-2) using E. coli W3110 as the anodic catalyst. In batch operation of the fuel cell, the mixed culture AR2 was able to anaerobically consume 29g/L of glycerol compared to only 3.3g/L using the E. coli strain. The mixed culture was also shown to concurrently produce 1,3-propanediol, a value-added product, and electricity from a pure glycerol feedstock in an MFC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reiche
authors.forename: Kathlyn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques; D055162:Biocatalysis; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012987:Soil; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D005990:Glycerol