Characterization of a filamentous biofilm community established in a cellulose-fed microbial fuel cell.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that exploit microorganisms to generate electric power from organic matter. Despite the development of efficient MFC reactors, the microbiology of electricity generation remains to be sufficiently understood.

Results

A laboratory-scale two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was inoculated with rice paddy field soil and fed cellulose as the carbon and energy source. Electricity-generating microorganisms were enriched by subculturing biofilms that attached onto anode electrodes. An electric current of 0.2 mA was generated from the first enrichment culture, and ratios of the major metabolites (e.g., electric current, methane and acetate) became stable after the forth enrichment. In order to investigate the electrogenic microbial

SUBMITTER: Ishii S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2254626 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature