The utility of Shewanella japonica for microbial fuel cells

Authors

• Justin C. Biffinger, US Naval Research LaboratoryFollow
• Lisa A. Fitzgerald, US Naval Research LaboratoryFollow
• Ricky Ray, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Brenda J. Little, Naval Research LaboratoryFollow
• Stephen E. Lizewski, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Emily R. Petersen, Nova Research Inc
• Bradley R. Ringeisen, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Wesley C. Sanders, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Paul E. Sheehan, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Jeremy J. Pietron, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Jeffrey W. Baldwin, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Lloyd J. Nadeau, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Glenn R. Johnson, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Meghann Ribbens, University of Southern California
• Steven E. Finkel, University of Southern California
• Kenneth H. Nealson, University of Southern California

Date of this Version

2011

Comments

Published in Bioresource Technology, 102, (2011), 290–297

Abstract

Shewanella-containing microbial fuel cells (MFCs) typically use the fresh water wild-type strain Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 due to its metabolic diversity and facultative oxidant tolerance. However, S. oneidensis MR-1 is not capable of metabolizing polysaccharides for extracellular electron transfer. The applicability of Shewanella japonica (an agar-lytic Shewanella strain) for power applications was analyzed using a diverse array of carbon sources for current generation from MFCs, cellular physiological responses at an electrode surface, biofilm formation, and the presence of soluble extracellular mediators for electron transfer to carbon electrodes. Critically, air-exposed S. japonica utilizes biosynthesized extracellular mediators for electron transfer to carbon electrodes with sucrose as the sole carbon source.