Oxidation of glucose by syntrophic association between Geobacter and hydrogenotrophic methanogens in microbial fuel cell.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate a syntrophic interaction between Geobacter sulfurreducens and hydrogenotrophic methanogens in sludge-inoculated microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems running on glucose with an improved electron recovery at the anode.


RESULTS
The presence of archaea in MFC reduces Coulombic efficiency (CE) due to their electron scavenging capability but, here, we demonstrate that a syntrophic interaction can occur between G. sulfurreducens and hydrogenotrophic methanogens via interspecies H2transfer with improvement in CE and power density. The addition of the methanogenesis inhibitor, 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES), resulted in the reduction in power density from 5.29 to 2 W/m3, and then gradually increased to the peak value of 5.5 W/m3when BES addition was stopped.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduction of H2partial pressure by archaea is an efficient approach in improving power output in a glucose-fed MFC system using Geobacter sp. as an inoculum.
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Godwin E
GE
Oyiwona
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. james.ogbonna@unn.edu.ng.
James
J
Ogbonna
Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo-shi, Japan.
Chukwudi Uzoma
CU
Anyanwu
Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo-shi, Japan.
So
S
Ishizaki
Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo-shi, Japan.
Zen-Ichiro
ZI
Kimura
Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo-shi, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Okabe
D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D045302:Geobacter / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
D005947:Glucose; D008697:Methane
Electron balance; Geobacter sulfurreducens; Hydrogenotrophic methanogen; Interspecies H2 transfer; Microbial fuel cell