Microbial community structure elucidates performance of Glyceria maxima plant microbial fuel cell

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 94; no. 2; pp. 537 - 548
• Main Authors: Timmers, Ruud A., Rothballer, Michael, Strik, David P. B. T. B., Engel, Marion, Schulz, Stephan, Schloter, Michael, Hartmann, Anton, Hamelers, Bert, Buisman, Cees
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.04.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: activated-sludge; Alternative energy sources; Analysis; Archaea - classification; Archaea - growth & development; Archaea - metabolism; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - growth & development; Bacteria - metabolism; Biochemical fuel cells; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Bioenergy and Biofuels; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biota; Biotechnology; Cellulose; Communities; Community structure; Competition; Electricity; electricity-generation; Electrodes; Electrodes - microbiology; Electron transfer; Electrons; Environmental health; fe(iii)-reducing bacterium; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; Genetic engineering; Glucose; Glyceria maxima; Graphite; Grasses; human feces; in-situ hybridization; iron-reducing bacteria; Life Sciences; Localization; Maxima; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Oxidation; Plant Roots - microbiology; Poaceae - microbiology; Potassium; Power plants; Properties; Rhizosphere; rice plants; shewanella-putrefaciens; soil bacteria; Soil Microbiology; Studies; targeted oligonucleotide probes; Uranium; Wire; Rhizosphere; Renewable energy; 454 amplicon sequencing; Microbial community; Plant microbial fuel cell
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-3894-6

The plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a technology in which living plant roots provide electron donor, via rhizodeposition, to a mixed microbial community to generate electricity in a microbial fuel cell. Analysis and localisation of the microbial community is necessary for gaining insight into the competition for electron donor in a PMFC. This paper characterises the anode–rhizosphere bacterial community of a Glyceria maxima (reed mannagrass) PMFC. Electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) were located on the root surfaces, but they were more abundant colonising the graphite granular electrode. Anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria dominated the area where most of the EAB were found, indicating that the current was probably generated via the hydrolysis of cellulose. Due to the presence of oxygen and nitrate, short-chain fatty acid-utilising denitrifiers were the major competitors for the electron donor. Acetate-utilising methanogens played a minor role in the competition for electron donor, probably due to the availability of graphite granules as electron acceptors.