title: Anodic and cathodic microbial communities in single chamber microbial fuel cells.
abstract: Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a rapidly growing technology for energy production from wastewater and biomasses. In a MFC, a microbial biofilm oxidizes organic matter and transfers electrons from reduced compounds to an anode as the electron acceptor by extracellular electron transfer (EET). The aim of this work was to characterize the microbial communities operating in a Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (SCMFC) fed with acetate and inoculated with a biogas digestate in order to gain more insight into anodic and cathodic EET. Taxonomic characterization of the communities was carried out by Illumina sequencing of a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene. Microorganisms belonging to Geovibrio genus and purple non-sulfur (PNS) bacteria were found to be dominant in the anodic biofilm. The alkaliphilic genus Nitrincola and anaerobic microorganisms belonging to Porphyromonadaceae family were the most abundant bacteria in the cathodic biofilm.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences - University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daghio
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences - University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences - University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bestetti
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences - University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.franzetti@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franzetti
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemistry, University of Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.affiliation: RSE - Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico S.p.A., Environment and Sustainable Development Department, Via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierangela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cristiani
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes