Abstract
Electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) play a crucial role in the bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) in which they oxidize organic matter and manage the transfer of electrons via substrate oxidation to the anodic surface. The modification of organisms by genetic means leads to enhanced production of EAB and extra electron transfer (EET) mechanisms, which improve the process efficiency. Cell surface modification, operation parameter validation, and media optimization are some ways to accelerate the performance of BES. This chapter will provide an insight into the mechanism of biofilm formation and various methods to enhance the biofilm formation for improving electrocatalytic rates in bioelectrochemical systems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ahn, Y., & Logan, B. E. (2010). Effectiveness of domestic wastewater treatment using microbial fuel cells at ambient and mesophilic temperatures. Bioresource Technology, 101(2), 469–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.07.039
Alferov, S., Coman, V., Gustavsson, T., et al. (2009). Electrical communication of cytochrome enriched Escherichia coli JM109 cells with graphite electrodes. Electrochimica Acta, 54(22), 4979–4984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2009.03.090
Anand, J., Giulio, G., Aurora, P., Michele, Z., & Marsili, E. (2011). Visible spectroelectrochemical characterization of. Electrochimica Acta, 47, 12530–12532.
Angelaalincy, M., Senthilkumar, N., Karpagam, R., Kumar, G. G., Ashokkumar, B., & Varalakshmi, P. (2017). Enhanced extracellular polysaccharide production and self-sustainable electricity generation for PAMFCs by Scenedesmus sp. SB1. ACS Omega, 2(7), 3754–3765. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.7b00326
Angelaalincy, M. J., Krishnaraj, R. N., & Shakambari, G. (2018). Biofilm engineering approaches for improving the performance of microbial fuel cells and bioelectrochemical systems. Frontiers in Energy Research, 6(July), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2018.00063
Arends, J. B. A., & Verstraete, W. (2012). Minireview 100 years of microbial electricity production: Three concepts for the future. Microbial Biotechnology, 5, 333–346. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7915.2011.00302.x
Atsumi, S., & Liao, J. C. (2008). Metabolic engineering for advanced biofuels production from Escherichia coli. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 8, 414–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2008.08.008
Babauta, J., Renslow, R., Lewandowski, Z., & Beyenal, H. (2012). Electrochemically active biofilms: Facts and fiction. A review. Biofouling, 7014, 789–812. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2012.710324
Bajracharya, S., Sharma, M., Mohanakrishna, G., Dominguez, X., Strik, D. P. B. T. B., & Sarma, P. M. (2016). An overview on emerging bioelectrochemical systems (BESs): Technology for sustainable electricity, waste remediation, resource recovery, chemical production and beyond. Renewable Energy, 2016, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.03.002
Biffinger, J. C., Pietron, J., Nadeau, L. J., & Johnson, G. R. (2008). The influence of acidity on microbial fuel cells containing Shewanella oneidensis. Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 24, 900–905.
Borole Abhijeet, P., Reguera, G., Ringeisen, B., & Zhi-Wu Wang, Y. F. (2011). Electroactive biofilms: Current status and future research needs. Energy & Environmental Science, 4, 4813–4834. https://doi.org/10.1039/c1ee02511b
Chandrasekhar, K., Amulya, K., & Mohan, S. V. (2015a). Solid phase bio-electrofermentation of food waste to harvest value-added products associated with waste remediation. Waste Management, 45, 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.06.001
Chandrasekhar, K., Lee, Y. J., & Lee, D. W. (2015b). Biohydrogen production: Strategies to improve process efficiency through microbial routes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 16(4), 8266–8293. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms16048266
Choi, D., Lee, S. B., Kim, S., Min, B., Choi, I. G., & Chang, I. S. (2014). Metabolically engineered glucose-utilizing Shewanella strains under anaerobic conditions. Bioresource Technology, 154, 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.025
Coman, V., Gustavsson, T., Finkelsteinas, A., von Wachenfeldt, C., Hägerhäll, C., & Gorton, L. (2009). Electrical wiring of live, metabolically enhanced Bacillus subtilis cells with flexible osmium-redox polymers. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 131(44), 16171–16176. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja905442a
Cusick, R. D., Kiely, P. D., & Logan, B. E. (2010). A monetary comparison of energy recovered from microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells fed winery or domestic wastewaters. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 35(17), 8855–8861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.06.077
Dettweiler, M., Lyles, J. T., Nelson, K., et al. (2019). American Civil War plant medicines inhibit growth, biofilm formation, and quorum sensing by multidrug- resistant bacteria. Scientific Reports, 9(January), 7692–7704. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44242-y
Du, Z., Li, H., & Gu, T. (2007). A state of the art review on microbial fuel cells: A promising technology for wastewater treatment and bioenergy. Biotechnology Advances, 25, 464–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2007.05.004
Dumas, C., Basseguy, R., & Bergel, A. (2008a). Electrochemical activity of geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms on stainless steel anodes. Electrochimica Acta, 53(16), 5235–5241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2008.02.056
Dumas, C., Basseguy, R., & Bergel, A. (2008b). DSA to grow electrochemically active biofilms of Geobacter sulfurreducens. Electrochimica Acta, 53(7), 3200–3209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2007.10.066
Enamala, M. K., Enamala, S., Chavali, M., et al. (2018). Production of biofuels from microalgae - A review on cultivation, harvesting, lipid extraction, and numerous applications of microalgae. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 94, 49–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.05.012
Finkelstein, D. A., Tender, L. M., & Zeikus, J. G. (2006). Effect of electrode potential on electrode-reducing microbiota. Environmental Science & Technology, 40(22), 6990–6995.
Flemming, H., & Wingender, J. (2010). The biofilm matrix. Nature Reviews. Microbiology, 8(9), 623–633. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2415
Flickinger, M. C., Schottel, J. L., Bond, D. R., & Aksan, A. (2007). Painting and printing living bacteria: Engineering nanoporous biocatalytic. Biotechnology Progress, 23, 2–17.
Franks, A. E., Nevin, K. P., Glaven, R. H., & Lovley, D. R. (2009). Microtoming coupled to microarray analysis to evaluate the spatial metabolic status of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms. The International Society for Microbial Ecology, 4(4), 509–519. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2009.137
Gallaway, J. W., & Barton, S. A. C. (2008). Kinetics of redox polymer-mediated enzyme electrodes. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130(26), 8527–8536. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja0781543
Ganesh, R., Dattatraya, G., & Pugazhendhi, A. (2018). Microbiome involved in microbial electrochemical systems (MESs): A review chemosphere microbiome involved in microbial electrochemical systems (MESs): A review. Chemosphere, 177(January), 176–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.143
Guo, K., Freguia, S., Dennis, P. G., et al. (2013). Effects of surface charge and hydrophobicity on anodic bio film formation, community composition, and current generation in bioelectrochemical systems. Environmental Science and Technology, 47, 7563–7570.
Halan, B., Buehler, K., & Schmid, A. (2012). Biofilms as living catalysts in continuous chemical syntheses. Trends in Biotechnology, 30(9), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2012.05.003
Höltje, J.-V. (1998). Growth of the stress-bearing and shape-maintaining murein sacculus of Escherichia coli. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 62(1), 181–203.
Ishii, S., Watanabe, K., Yabuki, S., Logan, B. E., & Sekiguchi, Y. (2008). Comparison of electrode reduction activities of geobacter sulfurreducens and an enriched consortium in an air-cathode microbial fuel cell. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(23), 7348–7355. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01639-08
Jamal, M., Tasneem, U., Hussain, T., & Andleeb, S. (2015). Bacterial biofilm: Its composition, formation and role in human infections. Research & Reviews: Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 4(3), 1–14.
Joo, H., Soo, H., Sik, M., Seop, I., Kim, M., & Hong, B. (2002). A mediator-less microbial fuel cell using a metal reducing bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 30, 145–152.
Joshi, M., Patel, H., Gupte, S., & Gupte, A. (2013). Nutrient improvement for simultaneous production of exopolysaccharide and mycelial biomass by submerged cultivation of Schizophyllum commune AGMJ-1 using statistical optimization. Biotech, 3(4), 307–318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-012-0103-3
Kadier, A., Kalil, M. S., Abdeshahian, P., et al. (2016). Recent advances and emerging challenges in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for microbial production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 61(August), 501–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.04.017
Kiely, P. D., Cusick, R., Call, D. F., Selembo, P. A., Regan, J. M., & Logan, B. E. (2011). Bioresource technology anode microbial communities produced by changing from microbial fuel cell to microbial electrolysis cell operation using two different wastewaters. Bioresource Technology, 102(1), 388–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.019
Kumar, G., Sivagurunathan, P., Pugazhendhi, A., et al. (2017). A comprehensive overview on light independent fermentative hydrogen production from wastewater feedstock and possible integrative options. Energy Conversion and Management, 141, 390–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2016.09.087
Lee, S. Y., Choi, J., & Wang, F. (1998). Production of poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) by recombinant bacteria. In Science and technology of polymers and advanced materials (pp. 463–475). Boston: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0112-5_40
Li, H., Li, J., Dou, W. F., Shi, J. S., & Xu, Z. H. (2013). Enhancing the production of a novel exopolysaccharide by Bacillus mucilaginosus CGMCC5766 using statistical experiment design. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 12(5), 711–718. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i5.8
Li, J., Feng, X., Fei, J., Cai, P., Huang, J., & Li, J. (2016). Integrating photosystem II into a porous TiO2 nanotube network toward highly efficient photo-bioelectrochemical cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 4(31), 12197–12204. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6TA04964H
Li, Z., Zhang, X., & Lei, L. (2008). Electricity production during the treatment of real electroplating wastewater containing Cr 6 + using microbial fuel cell. Process Biochemistry, 43, 1352–1358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2008.08.005
Liu, H., & Cheng, S. (2005). Power generation in fed-batch microbial fuel cells as a function of ionic strength, temperature, and reactor configuration. Environmental Science & Technology, 39(14), 5488–5493.
Marsili, E., Sun, J., & Bond, D. R. (2010). Voltammetry and growth physiology of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms as a function of growth stage and imposed electrode potential. Electroanalysis, 22(7-8), 865–874. https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.200800007
Min, B., Kim, J., Oh, S., Regan, J. M., & Logan, B. E. (2005). Electricity generation from swine wastewater using microbial fuel cells. Water Research, 39, 4961–4968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2005.09.039
Nam, D. H., Zhang, J. Z., Andrei, V., et al. (2018). Solar water splitting with a hydrogenase integrated in photoelectrochemical tandem cells. Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, 57(33), 10595–10599. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201805027
Pablo, J., Esteve-nuñez, A., Berná, A., & Miguel, J. (2010). ATR-SEIRAs characterization of surface redox processes in G. sulfurreducens. Bioelectrochemistry, 78(1), 25–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2009.04.011
Patil, S. A., Harnisch, F., Kapadnis, B., & Schröder, U. (2010). Biosensors and bioelectronics electroactive mixed culture biofilms in microbial bioelectrochemical systems: The role of temperature for biofilm formation and performance. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 26(2), 803–808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2010.06.019
Patil, S. A., Harnisch, F., Koch, C., et al. (2011). Electroactive mixed culture derived biofilms in microbial bioelectrochemical systems: The role of pH on biofilm formation, performance and composition. Bioresource Technology, 102(20), 9683–9690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2011.07.087
Patil, S. A., Hagerhall, C., & Gorton, L. (2014). Electron transfer mechanisms between microorganisms and electrodes in bioelectrochemical systems. Bioanalytical Reviews, 1(October 2013), 71–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/11663
Pham, H. T., Boon, N., Aelterman, P., et al. (2008). High shear enrichment improves the performance of the anodophilic microbial consortium in a microbial fuel cell. Microbial Biotechnology, 1, 487–496. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7915.2008.00049.x
Pham, T. H., Aelterman, P., & Verstraete, W. (2009). Bioanode performance in bioelectrochemical systems: Recent improvements and prospects. Trends in Biotechnology, 27(January), 168–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2008.11.005
Popov, A. L., Michie, I. S., Kim, J. R., et al. (2016). Enrichment strategy for enhanced bioelectrochemical hydrogen production and the prevention of methanogenesis. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41(7), 4120–4131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.01.014
Prakash, B., Veeregowda, B. M., & Krishnappa, G. (2003). Biofilms: A survival strategy of bacteria. Current Science, 85(9), 1299–1307.
Rabaey, K., & Rozendal, R. A. (2010). Microbial electrosynthesis — Revisiting the electrical route for microbial production. Applied and Industrial Microbiology, 8, 706–716. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2422
Rae, J., Hee, S., Regan, J. M., & Logan, B. E. (2007). Electricity generation and microbial community analysis of alcohol powered microbial fuel cells. Bioresource Technology, 98, 2568–2577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2006.09.036
Rosenbaum, M. A., & Franks, A. E. (2014). Microbial catalysis in bioelectrochemical technologies: Status quo, challenges and perspectives. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 98(2), 509–518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5396-6
Rozendal, A., Hamelers, H. V. M., Rabaey, K., Keller, J., & Buisman, C. J. N. (2008). Towards practical implementation of bioelectrochemical wastewater treatment. Trends in Biotechnology, 26(June), 450–459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2008.04.008
Saito, T., Mehanna, M., Wang, X., et al. (2011). Effect of nitrogen addition on the performance of microbial fuel cell anodes. Bioresource Technology, 102(1), 395–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.05.063
Sakimoto, K. K., Kornienko, N., Cestellos-Blanco, S., Lim, J., Liu, C., & Yang, P. (2018). Physical biology of the materials-microorganism interface. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140(6), 1978–1985. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.7b11135
Saratale, R. G., Kuppam, C., Mudhoo, A., et al. (2017). Bioelectrochemical systems using microalgae – A concise research update. Chemosphere, 177, 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.132
Sevda, S., Sharma, S., Joshi, C., et al. (2018). Biofilm formation and electron transfer in bioelectrochemical systems. Environmental Technology Reviews, 2515, 1486889. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622515.2018.1486889
Singh, A., Pant, D., Olsen, S., & Nigam, P. (2012). Key issues to consider in microalgae based biodiesel. Energy Education Science and Technology Part A-Energy Science and Research, 29(1), 687–700.
Singh, R., Paul, D., & Jain, R. K. (2006). Biofilms: Implications in bioremediation. Trends in Microbiology, 14(9), 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2006.07.001
Sivagurunathan, P., Kuppam, C., Mudhoo, A., et al. (2018). A comprehensive review on two-stage integrative schemes for the valorization of dark fermentative effluents. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 38(6), 868–882. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2017.1416578
Sleutels, T. H. J. A., Heijne, T., & Buisman, C. J. N. (2012). Bioelectrochemical systems: An outlook for practical applications. ChemSusChem, 5, 1012–1019. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201100732
Steyn, B., Oosthuizen, M. C., Macdonald, R., Theron, J., & Brözel, V. S. (2001). The use of glass wool as an attachment surface for studying phenotypic changes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteomics, 1, 871–879.
Wei, J., Liang, P., & Huang, X. (2011). Recent progress in electrodes for microbial fuel cells. Bioresource Technology, 102(20), 9335–9344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2011.07.019
Wu, P. K., Biffinger, J. C., Fitzgerald, L. A., & Ringeisen, B. R. (2012). A low power DC/DC booster circuit designed for microbial fuel cells. Process Biochemistry, 47(11), 1620–1626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2011.06.003
Yong, Y. C., Yu, Y. Y., Yang, Y., Liu, J., Wang, J. Y., & Song, H. (2013). Enhancement of extracellular electron transfer and bioelectricity output by synthetic porin. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 110(2), 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.24732
Zhang, B., & He, Z. (2012). Energy production, use and saving in a bioelectrochemical desalination system. RSC Advances, 2(28), 10673–10679. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2ra21779a
Zhang, H., & Hu, X. (2017). Rapid production of Pd nanoparticle by a marine electrochemically active bacterium: Shewanella sp. CNZ-1 and its catalytic performance on 4-nitrophenol reduction. RSC Advances, 7(65), 41182–41189. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7ra07438g
Zhou, M., Chi, M., Luo, J., He, H., & Jin, T. (2011). An overview of electrode materials in microbial fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 196(10), 4427–4435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2011.01.012
Acknowledgement
Reshmy R and Raveendran Sindhu acknowledge Department of Science and Technology for sanctioning projects (F. No. SR/WOS-B/587/2016 and F. No. SR/WOS-B/740/2016) under DST WOS-B scheme.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Reshmy, R., Thomas, D., Sindhu, R., Binod, P., Pandey, A. (2020). Biofilms: Engineering Approaches to Enhance Process Efficiency. In: Kumar, P., Kuppam, C. (eds) Bioelectrochemical Systems. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6868-8_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6868-8_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-6867-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-6868-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)