Thermodynamics and H2 Transfer in a Methanogenic, Syntrophic Community.

ABSTRACT: Microorganisms in nature do not exist in isolation but rather interact with other species in their environment. Some microbes interact via syntrophic associations, in which the metabolic by-products of one species serve as nutrients for another. These associations sustain a variety of natural communities, including those involved in methanogenesis. In anaerobic syntrophic communities, energy is transferred from one species to another, either through direct contact and exchange of electrons, or through small molecule diffusion. Thermodynamics plays an important role in governing these interactions, as the oxidation reactions carried out by the first community member are only possible because degradation products are consumed by the second community member. This work presents the development

SUBMITTER: Hamilton JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4509577 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature