TITLE:
Electromicrobiology: An Emerging Reality—A Review
AUTHORS:
Clifford Nkemnaso Obi, Grace Chigozirim Asogwa
KEYWORDS:
Electricity, Electrons, Microbes, Microbial Fuel Cells
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.2 No.11,
November
9,
2015
ABSTRACT:
Electromicrobiology is the study of the interactions between the novel
electrical properties of microorganisms and electronic devices. A diversity of
microorganisms such as Geobacter and Shewanella species is capable of interacting
electrically with the environment. Many recent advances in Electromicrobiology
stem from studying Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) which are a device designed for
the harvesting of electric current from organic compounds. Three types of
Microbial Fuel Cells are known which are heterotrophic microbial fuel cells,
photosynthetic microbial fuel cells (bio-solar cells) designed to harness the
most abundant and promising energy source (solar irradiation) of earth and the
hybrid microbial fuel cell. Electric microorganisms especially Sporomusa ovata can use electron derived
from electrodes to reduce carbondioxide to multicarbon extracellular organic
compounds in a process known as Microbial Electrosynthesis. The mechanism of
electron transfer to electrodes by electric microbes is either by the use of
electron shuttling molecules, redox-active proteins or via conductive pili.
Conductive microorganisms and/or their nanowires have a number of potential
practical applications but additional basic research will be necessary for
rational applications. This review looks at the Microbial Fuel Cells, the
associated mechanisms and applications.