title: Investigating the association between photosynthetic efficiency and generation of biophotoelectricity in autotrophic microbial fuel cells.
abstract: Microbial fuel cells operating with autotrophic microorganisms are known as biophotovoltaic devices. It represents a great opportunity for environmentally-friendly power generation using the energy of the sunlight. The efficiency of electricity generation in this novel system is however low. This is partially reflected by the poor understanding of the bioelectrochemical mechanisms behind the electron transfer from these microorganisms to the electrode surface. In this work, we propose a combination of electrochemical and fluorescence techniques, giving emphasis to the pulse amplitude modulation fluorescence. The combination of these two techniques allow us to obtain information that can assist in understanding the electrical response obtained from the generation of electricity through the intrinsic properties related to the photosynthetic efficiency that can be obtained from the fluorescence emitted. These were achieved quantitatively by means of observed changes in four photosynthetic parameters with the bioanode generating electricity. These are the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), alpha (α), light saturation coefficient (Ek) and maximum rate of electron transfer (rETRm). The relationship between the increases in the current density collected by the bioanode to the decrease of the rETRm values in the photosynthetic pathway for the two microorganisms was also discussed.
authors: Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, CB2 3RA Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Gustavo P M K
authors: GP
authors: Ciniciato
authors: Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Fong-Lee
authors: FL
authors: Ng
authors: Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Siew-Moi
authors: SM
authors: Phang
authors: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Muhammad Musoddiq
authors: MM
authors: Jaafar
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, CB2 3RA Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Adrian C
authors: AC
authors: Fisher
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, CB2 3RA Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Kamran
authors: K
authors: Yunus
authors: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Vengadesh
authors: V
authors: Periasamy
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D010788:Photosynthesis