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Electroactive bacteria—molecular mechanisms and genetic tools

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Abstract

In nature, different bacteria have evolved strategies to transfer electrons far beyond the cell surface. This electron transfer enables the use of these bacteria in bioelectrochemical systems (BES), such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and microbial electrosynthesis (MES). The main feature of electroactive bacteria (EAB) in these applications is the ability to transfer electrons from the microbial cell to an electrode or vice versa instead of the natural redox partner. In general, the application of electroactive organisms in BES offers the opportunity to develop efficient and sustainable processes for the production of energy as well as bulk and fine chemicals, respectively. This review describes and compares key microbiological features of different EAB. Furthermore, it focuses on achievements and future prospects of genetic manipulation for efficient strain development.

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Acknowledgments

The authors like to thank Jeffery Alan Wood for critical reading, valuable comments, and critical discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemical Engineering, DECHEMA-Forschungsinstitut, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486, Frankfurt, Germany

    Anne Sydow, Thomas Krieg, Florian Mayer, Jens Schrader & Dirk Holtmann

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  1. Anne Sydow
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  2. Thomas Krieg
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  3. Florian Mayer
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  5. Dirk Holtmann
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Correspondence to Dirk Holtmann.

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Anne Sydow and Thomas Krieg equally contributed to this paper.

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Sydow, A., Krieg, T., Mayer, F. et al. Electroactive bacteria—molecular mechanisms and genetic tools. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98, 8481–8495 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6005-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6005-z

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