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DREAM Assay for Studying Microbial Electron Transfer

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Abstract

Methylene blue undergoes reduction with an accompanying colour change reaction, from blue to colourless, enabling its use as a metric for estimating reducing power. A dye reduction-based electron-transfer activity monitoring (DREAM) assay is demonstrated as a tool to study and understand the process of microbes sourcing electrons from organic substrates and transferring them to an electron acceptor. The rate at which electrons can be transferred to the thermodynamically most feasible electron acceptor directly depends on the activity of microbes. Nature of available substrate determines the quantum of electrons available. Dissolved oxygen intercepts electrons from the microbes before they can be taken up by the dye. Sodium sulfite can be used to offset the detrimental effects of the presence of dissolved oxygen. This easy-to-perform assay has been demonstrated as a proof-of-concept having potential to be extended to other practical applications.

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Abbreviations

MFC:

Microbial fuel cell

A600 :

Absorbance at 600 nm

A660 :

Absorbance at 660 nm

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Acknowledgments

The authors dedicate this work to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the founding chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, 515134, India

    A. S. Vishwanathan & Ranjan Devkota

  2. Department of Physics, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, 515134, India

    S. Siva Sankara Sai

  3. Center for Advanced Sensor Technology, Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA

    Govind Rao

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  1. A. S. Vishwanathan
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  2. Ranjan Devkota
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  3. S. Siva Sankara Sai
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  4. Govind Rao
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Correspondence to A. S. Vishwanathan.

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Vishwanathan, A.S., Devkota, R., Siva Sankara Sai, S. et al. DREAM Assay for Studying Microbial Electron Transfer. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 177, 1767–1775 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1852-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1852-3

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