Enhanced Current Generation Using Mutualistic Interaction of Yeast-Bacterial Coculture in Dual Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

Although exogenous mediators can distinctly enhance the performance of yeast driven microbial fuel cell (MFC), the possibility of mediator's toxicity, environmental risk, and cost are the main challenges facing toward its application in MFCs. Therefore, the use of naturally produced electron shuttles for unmediated yeast would be of great interest since it can solve most of the above-mentioned problems. The present study is to investigate the possibility of the use of electron shuttle producing bacteria Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) to boost up the performance of yeast Lipomyces starkeyi (L. starkeyi) driven MFC. The MFCs inoculated with L. starkeyi and K. pneumoniae coculture achieved a maximum power density of 12.87 W/m 3 which is about 3 and 6 times higher than that of MFC solely inoculated with pure yeast and bacteria, respectively, demonstrating that the yeast cells have successfully utilized the reduced electron shuttles excreted by the bacteria. The occurrence of the mutualistic interactions was further supported by the CV and EIS results. The findings of this work suggest that the use of mutualistic interaction of yeast and bacteria could be a new way to increase the performance of the MFCs.

Electricigens in the anode of microbial fuel cells: pure cultures versus mixed communities

“…Klebsiella pneumonia was another strain that could secrete electron mediators. The MFC constructed by co-culture of Klebsiella pneumonia and Lipomyces starkeyi produced a peak power density of 12.87 W/m 3 [97].…”

Fungi-Based Microbial Fuel Cells

“…Enhanced current generation using yeast-bacterial coculture was observed by Islam et al [64]. The power production in MFCs, which inoculated the yeast Lipomyces starkeyi with Klebsiella pneumoniae was 3-6 times higher (12.87 Wm −3 ) in comparison to MFCs using bacteria or yeast separately.…”

Biofilm re-vitalization using hydrodynamic shear stress for stable power generation in microbial fuel cell

“…Moreover, it showed that live-cell mass are needed rather than thick biofilm to obtain higher metabolic activity as well as higher current generation. Our previous study [33] also showed that the redox peak significantly reduced due to the formation of multilayer biofilm comprising more dead cells, and this dead inner layer hindered the electron transfer from the live bacteria present in the outer layer of the biofilm and bulk solution. Besides that, the electrons in the biofilm needed to travel over substantial distances to reach the anode and the resistance associated with long distance electron transport is substantially higher than the resistance associated with the single electron transfer step from the biofilm to the anode at the biofilm/anode interface [34].…”