Microbial interspecies electron transfer via electric currents through conductive minerals

Kato, Souichiro; Hashimoto, Kazuhito; Watanabe, Kazuya

doi:10.1073/pnas.1117592109

Cited by 531 publications

(315 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Magnetite-mediated DIET has been directly demonstrated only in cocultures of Geobacter sulfurreducens and Thiobacillus denitrificans (45) and of G. metallireducens and G. sulfurreducens (44). To date, magnetite-mediated DIET has not been observed in defined syntrophic methanogenic cocultures.…”

Section: Fig 2 Xrd Spectra Of Ferrihydrite Incubated With Geobacter Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Mineralization of Ferrihydrite Affects Microbial Methanogenesis in Geobacter-Methanosarcina Cocultures

Tang

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The transformation of ferrihydrite to stable iron oxides over time has important consequences for biogeochemical cycling of many metals and nutrients. The response of methanogenic activity to the presence of iron oxides depends on the type of iron mineral, but the effects of changes in iron mineralogy on methanogenesis have not been characterized. To address these issues, we constructed methanogenic cocultures of Geobacter and Methanosarcina strains with different ferrihydrite mineralization pathways. In this system, secondary mineralization products from ferrihydrite are regulated by the presence or absence of phosphate. In cultures producing magnetite as the secondary mineralization product, the rates of methanogenesis from acetate and ethanol increased by 30.2% and 135.3%, respectively, compared with a control lacking ferrihydrite. Biogenic magnetite was proposed to promote direct interspecies electron transfer between Geobacter and Methanosarcina in a manner similar to that of ctype cytochrome and thus facilitate methanogenesis. Vivianite biomineralization from ferrihydrite in the presence of phosphate did not significantly influence the methanogenesis processes. The correlation between magnetite occurrence and facilitated methanogenesis was supported by increased rates of methane production from acetate and ethanol with magnetite supplementation in the defined cocultures. Our data provide a new perspective on the important role of iron biomineralization in biogeochemical cycling of carbon in diverse anaerobic environments. IMPORTANCE It has been found that microbial methanogenesis is affected by the presence of iron minerals, and their influences on methano-

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Section: Fig 2 Xrd Spectra Of Ferrihydrite Incubated With Geobacter Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Mineralization of Ferrihydrite Affects Microbial Methanogenesis in Geobacter-Methanosarcina Cocultures

Tang

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Generally, microbial uptake of electrons from extracellular surfaces is a widespread and ecologically significant process in many environments (98)(99)(100)(101). In the context of microbial corrosion, it is particularly interesting to question the evolutionary roots and ecological significance of direct electron uptake.…”

Section: Who's Who In Srb-induced Corrosion? Phylogenetic Distributiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Corrosion of Iron by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria: New Views of an Old Problem

Enning

Garrelfs

2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

660

414

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About a century ago, researchers first recognized a connection between the activity of environmental microorganisms and cases of anaerobic iron corrosion. Since then, such microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) has gained prominence and its technical and economic implications are now widely recognized. Under anoxic conditions (e.g., in oil and gas pipelines), sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are commonly considered the main culprits of MIC. This perception largely stems from three recurrent observations. First, anoxic sulfate-rich environments (e.g., anoxic seawater) are particularly corrosive. Second, SRB and their characteristic corrosion product iron sulfide are ubiquitously associated with anaerobic corrosion damage, and third, no other physiological group produces comparably severe corrosion damage in laboratory-grown pure cultures. However, there remain many open questions as to the underlying mechanisms and their relative contributions to corrosion. On the one hand, SRB damage iron constructions indirectly through a corrosive chemical agent, hydrogen sulfide, formed by the organisms as a dissimilatory product from sulfate reduction with organic compounds or hydrogen ("chemical microbially influenced corrosion"; CMIC). On the other hand, certain SRB can also attack iron via withdrawal of electrons ("electrical microbially influenced corrosion"; EMIC), viz., directly by metabolic coupling. Corrosion of iron by SRB is typically associated with the formation of iron sulfides (FeS) which, paradoxically, may reduce corrosion in some cases while they increase it in others. This brief review traces the historical twists in the perception of SRB-induced corrosion, considering the presently most plausible explanations as well as possible early misconceptions in the understanding of severe corrosion in anoxic, sulfate-rich environments. E ver since its first production roughly 4,000 years ago, iron has played a central role in human society due to its excellent mechanical properties and the abundance of its ores. Today, iron is used in much larger quantities than any other metallic material (1) and is indispensable in infrastructure, transportation, and manufacturing. A major drawback is the susceptibility of iron to corrosion. Corrosion of iron and other metals causes enormous economic damage. Across all industrial sectors, the inferred costs of metal corrosion have been estimated to range between 2% and 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) in developed countries (2, 3). These costs are to a large extent caused by corrosion of iron, due to its abundant use and particular susceptibility to oxidative damage. Estimates of the costs attributable to biocorrosion of iron lack a computed basis so that they vary widely, and definite numbers cannot be given with certainty. Still, microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) probably accounts for a significant fraction of the total costs (4-7), and, due to its effects on important infrastructure in the energy industry (such as oil and gas pipelines), costs in the range of billions of...

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“…In addition to these anodic microbial processes, recent studies have revealed that some microorganisms can take up 'free' cathodic electrons from conductive minerals during interspecies electron transfer (Kato et al, 2012) or from abiotically reduced surfaces such as deep sea hydrothermal vent chimneys (Nakamura et al, 2010). This use of 'free' electrons as electron donor in microbial catabolism finds also relevance in engineered bioelectrochemical systems, which have been emerging as promising platforms for a sustainable energy landscape.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced microbial electrosynthesis by using defined co-cultures

2016

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Microbial uptake of free cathodic electrons presents a poorly understood aspect of microbial physiology. Uptake of cathodic electrons is particularly important in microbial electrosynthesis of sustainable fuel and chemical precursors using only CO 2 and electricity as carbon, electron and energy source. Typically, large overpotentials (200 to 400 mV) were reported to be required for cathodic electron uptake during electrosynthesis of, for example, methane and acetate, or low electrosynthesis rates were observed. To address these limitations and to explore conceptual alternatives, we studied defined co-cultures metabolizing cathodic electrons. The Fe(0)-corroding strain IS4 was used to catalyze the electron uptake reaction from the cathode forming molecular hydrogen as intermediate, and Methanococcus maripaludis and Acetobacterium woodii were used as model microorganisms for hydrogenotrophic synthesis of methane and acetate, respectively. The IS4-M. maripaludis co-cultures achieved electromethanogenesis rates of 0.1-0.14 μmol cm − 2 h − 1 at − 400 mV vs standard hydrogen electrode and 0.6-0.9 μmol cm − 2 h − 1 at − 500 mV. Co-cultures of strain IS4 and A. woodii formed acetate at rates of 0.21-0.23 μmol cm − 2 h − 1 at − 400 mV and 0.57-0.74 μmol cm − 2 h − 1 at − 500 mV. These data show that defined co-cultures coupling cathodic electron uptake with synthesis reactions via interspecies hydrogen transfer may lay the foundation for an engineering strategy for microbial electrosynthesis.

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Microbial interspecies electron transfer via electric currents through conductive minerals

Cited by 531 publications

References 42 publications

Secondary Mineralization of Ferrihydrite Affects Microbial Methanogenesis in Geobacter-Methanosarcina Cocultures

Secondary Mineralization of Ferrihydrite Affects Microbial Methanogenesis in Geobacter-Methanosarcina Cocultures

Corrosion of Iron by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria: New Views of an Old Problem

Enhanced microbial electrosynthesis by using defined co-cultures

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