title: Endogenously enhanced biosurfactant production promotes electricity generation from microbial fuel cells.
abstract: Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is considered as a promising green energy source and energy-saving pollutants treatment technology as it integrates pollutant biodegradation with energy extraction. In this work, a facile approach to enhance endogenous biosurfactant production was developed to improve the electron transfer rate and power output of MFC. By overexpression of rhlA, the key gene responsible for rhamnolipids synthesis, over-production of self-synthesized rhamnolipids from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was achieved. Strikingly, the increased rhamnolipids production by rhlA overexpression significantly promoted the extracellular electron transfer of P. aeruginosa by enhancing electron shuttle (pyocyanin) production and increasing bacteria attachment on the anode. As a result, the strain with endogenously enhanced rhamnolipids production delivered 2.5 times higher power density output than that of the parent strain. This work substantiated that the enhancement on endogenous biosurfactant production could be a promising approach for improvement on the electricity output of MFC.
authors.affiliation: College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Bioenergy Research Institute, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu Province, China; Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China; College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Bioenergy Research Institute, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Shang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Bioenergy Research Institute, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.affiliation: Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Qian-Wen
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
authors.forename: Hao-Ran
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China. Electronic address: ycyong@ujs.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yang-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yong
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology; D004566:Electrodes; D004579:Electron Transport; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011710:Pyocyanine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006017:Glycolipids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C418382:rhamnolipid; D011710:Pyocyanine; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; C088697:rhamnosyltransferase 1
keywords: Electron Transfer; Microbial fuel cells; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Rhamnolipid; Surfactant