Bioelectricity generation using long-term operated biocathode: RFLP based microbial diversity analysis

S V Ramanaiah; Cristina M Cordas; Sara C Matias; M Venkateswar Reddy; Jorge Humberto Leitão; Luis P Fonseca

doi:10.1016/j.btre.2021.e00693

Bioelectricity generation using long-term operated biocathode: RFLP based microbial diversity analysis

Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2021 Dec 5:32:e00693. doi: 10.1016/j.btre.2021.e00693. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

S V Ramanaiah^{1

2}, Cristina M Cordas³, Sara C Matias¹, M Venkateswar Reddy⁴, Jorge Humberto Leitão⁵, Luis P Fonseca¹

Affiliations

¹ iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais, Lisboa, 1049-001 Portugal.
² Food and Biotechnology Research Lab, South Ural State University (National Research University), 76, Lenin prospekt, Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation.
³ LAQV- REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, 2829-516, Portugal.
⁴ Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
⁵ Department of Bioengineering, iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais, Lisboa, 1049-001 Portugal.

Abstract

In the present work, power generation and substrate removal efficiencies of long-term operated microbial fuel cells, containing abiotic cathodes and biocathodes, were evaluated for 220 days. Among the two microbial fuel cell (MFC) types, the one containing biocathode showed higher power density (54 mW/m²), current density (122 mA/m²) coulombic efficiency (33%), and substrate removal efficiency (94%) than the abiotic cathode containing MFC. Voltammetric analysis also witnessed higher and sustainable electron discharge for the MFC with biocathode, when compared with the abiotic cathode MFC. Over the tested period, both MFC have shown a cell voltage drop, after 150 and 165, days, for the MFC with biocathode and abiotic cathodes, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis identified 281 clones. Bacteria belonging to Acinetobacter, Acidovorax, Pseudomonas and Burkholderia were observed in the abiotic cathode MFC. Bacteria belonging to Geobacter, Cupriavidus and Acidobacteria were observed in the biocathode MFC. Almost similar types of archaea (Methanosarcinales, Methanolinea, Nitrososphaera and Methanomicrobiales) were observed in both MFCs.

Keywords: Biocathode; Cyclic voltammetry; Microbial fuel cell; Polymerase chain reaction; Wastewater treatment; restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).