Open AccessCurrent production in a microbial fuel cell using a pure culture of C upriavidus basilensis growing in acetate or phenol as a carbon source
Author(s) -
Friman Hen,
Schechter Alex,
Ioffe Yulia,
Nitzan Yeshayahu,
Cahan Rivka
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
microbial biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.287
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 1751-7915
DOI - 10.1111/1751-7915.12026
Subject(s) - microbial fuel cell , phenol , chemistry , bioreactor , anode , population , nuclear chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , electrode , biology , organic chemistry , demography , sociology
Summary A microbial fuel cell ( MFC ) was operated with a pure culture of C upriavidus basilensis bacterial cells growing in the anode compartment in a defined medium containing acetate or phenol. Operating this mediator‐less MFC under a constant external resistor of 1 kΩ with acetate or phenol led to current generation of 902 and 310 mA m −2 respectively. In the MFC which was operated using acetate or phenol, the current density measured from the plankton bacterial cells with a fresh electrode was 125 and 109 mA m −2 , respectively, whereas the current obtained with biofilm‐covered electrodes in sterile medium was 541 and 228 mA m −2 respectively. After 72 h in the MFC , 86% of the initial phenol concentration was removed, while only 64% was removed after the same time in the control MFC which was held at an open circuit potential ( OCP ). Furthermore, SEM and confocal microscopy analyses demonstrated a developed biofilm with a live C . basilensis population. In conclusion, in this study we demonstrated, for the first time, use of C . basilensis facultative aerobe bacterial cells in a MFC using acetate or phenol as the sole carbon source which led to electricity generation.