title: Current production in a microbial fuel cell using a pure culture of Cupriavidus basilensis growing in acetate or phenol as a carbon source.
abstract: A microbial fuel cell (MFC) was operated with a pure culture of Cupriavidus basilensis bacterial cells growing in the anode compartment in a defined medium containing acetate or phenol. Operating this mediator-less MFC under a constant external resistor of 1 kΩ with acetate or phenol led to current generation of 902 and 310 mA m(-2) respectively. In the MFC which was operated using acetate or phenol, the current density measured from the plankton bacterial cells with a fresh electrode was 125 and 109 mA m(-2), respectively, whereas the current obtained with biofilm-covered electrodes in sterile medium was 541 and 228 mA m(-2) respectively. After 72 h in the MFC, 86% of the initial phenol concentration was removed, while only 64% was removed after the same time in the control MFC which was held at an open circuit potential (OCP). Furthermore, SEM and confocal microscopy analyses demonstrated a developed biofilm with a live C. basilensis population. In conclusion, in this study we demonstrated, for the first time, use of C. basilensis facultative aerobe bacterial cells in a MFC using acetate or phenol as the sole carbon source which led to electricity generation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Ariel University Center, Ariel, 40700, Israel.
authors.forename: Hen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friman
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schechter
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ioffe
authors.forename: Yeshayahu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nitzan
authors.forename: Rivka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cahan
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000332:Aerobiosis; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D049921:Cupriavidus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes / Q000382:microbiology; D019800:Phenol / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003470:Culture Media; D019800:Phenol; D002244:Carbon