Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2017.07.009
Title (Primary) Predicting and experimental evaluating bio-electrochemical synthesis — A case study with Clostridium kluyveri
Author Koch, C.; Kuchenbuch, A.; Kracke, F.; Bernhardt, P.V.; Krömer, J.O.; Harnisch, F. ORCID logo
Source Titel Bioelectrochemistry
Year 2017
Department UMB; SOMA
Volume 118
Page From 114
Page To 122
Language englisch
Keywords Microbial electrosynthesis; Reverse β-Oxidation; Electrochemically steered fermentation; Mediated electron transfer; Electro-fermentation
UFZ wide themes RU4;
Abstract

Microbial electrosynthesis is a highly promising application of microbial electrochemical technologies for the sustainable production of organic compounds. At the same time a multitude of questions need to be answered and challenges to be met. Central for its further development is using appropriate electroactive microorganisms and their efficient extracellular electron transfer (EET) as well as wiring of the metabolism to EET.

Among others, Clostridia are believed to represent electroactive microbes being highly promising for microbial electrosynthesis. We investigated the potential steps and challenges for the bio-electrochemical fermentation (electro-fermentation) of mid-chain organic acids using Clostridium kluyveri. Starting from a metabolic model the potential limitations of the metabolism as well as beneficial scenarios for electrochemical stimulation were identified and experimentally investigated. C. kluyveri was shown to not be able to exchange electrons with an electrode directly. Therefore, exogenous mediators (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, potassium ferrocyanide, neutral red, methyl viologen, methylene blue, and the macrocyclic cobalt hexaamine [Co(trans-diammac)]3 +) were tested for their toxicity and electro-fermentations were performed in 1 L bioreactors covering 38 biotic and 8 abiotic runs. When using C. kluyveri and mediators, maximum absolute current densities higher than the abiotic controls were detected for all runs. At the same time, no significant impact on the cell metabolism (product formation, carbon recovery, growth rate) was found. From this observation, we deduce general potential limitations of electro-fermentations with C. kluyveri and discuss strategies to successfully overcome them.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=19052
Koch, C., Kuchenbuch, A., Kracke, F., Bernhardt, P.V., Krömer, J.O., Harnisch, F. (2017):
Predicting and experimental evaluating bio-electrochemical synthesis — A case study with Clostridium kluyveri
Bioelectrochemistry 118 , 114 - 122 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2017.07.009