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Thionine increases electricity generation from microbial fuel cell using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and exoelectrogenic mixed culture

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Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been shown to be capable of clean energy production through the oxidation of biodegradable organic waste using various bacterial species as biocatalysts. In this study we found Saccharomyces cerevisiae, previously known electrochemcially inactive or less active species, can be acclimated with an electron mediator thionine for electrogenic biofilm formation in MFC, and electricity production is improved with facilitation of electron transfer. Power generation of MFC was also significantly increased by thionine with both aerated and non-aerated cathode. With electrochemically active biofilm enriched with swine wastewater, MFC power increased more significantly by addition of thionine. The optimum mediator concentration was 500 mM of thionine with S. cerevisae in MFC with the maximum voltage and current generation in the microbial fuel cell were 420 mV and 700 mA/m2, respectively. Cyclic voltametry shows that thionine improves oxidizing and reducing capability in both pure culture and acclimated biofilm as compared to non-mediated cell. The results obtained indicated that thionine has great potential to enhance power generation from unmediated yeast or electrochemically active biofilm in MFC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Research Lab., Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Noshirvani University, Babol, Iran

    Mostafa Rahimnejad, Ghasem Darzi Najafpour, Ali Asghar Ghoreyshi, Farid Talebnia & Gholamreza Bakeri

  2. Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), Faculty of Advanced Technology, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, UK

    Giuliano C. Premier & Jung Rae Kim

  3. Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, Republic of Korea

    Sang-Eun Oh

Authors
  1. Mostafa Rahimnejad
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  2. Ghasem Darzi Najafpour
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  3. Ali Asghar Ghoreyshi
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  4. Farid Talebnia
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  5. Giuliano C. Premier
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  6. Gholamreza Bakeri
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  7. Jung Rae Kim
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  8. Sang-Eun Oh
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Correspondence to Jung Rae Kim or Sang-Eun Oh.

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Rahimnejad, M., Najafpour, G.D., Ghoreyshi, A.A. et al. Thionine increases electricity generation from microbial fuel cell using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and exoelectrogenic mixed culture. J Microbiol. 50, 575–580 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-012-2135-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-012-2135-0

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