cost-effective microbial fuel cell to detect and select for photosynthetic electrogenic activity in algae and cyanobacteria

This work describes the development of an easily constructed, cost-effective photosynthetic microbial fuel cell design with highly reproducible electrochemical characteristics that can be used to screen algae and cyanobacteria for photosynthetic electrogenic activity. It is especially suitable for b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied phycology 2014-02, Vol.26 (1), p.15-23
Main Authors: Luimstra, Veerle M, Kennedy, Sophie-Jean, Güttler, Johanna, Wood, Susanna A, Williams, David E, Packer, Michael A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Biomedical and Life Sciences
bottles
carbon
Chlorophyceae
coatings
Ecology
Electrochemistry
electrodes
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Fuel cells
Fuel technology
fuels
Leptolyngbya
Life Sciences
Microcoleus
Microorganisms
Nostoc
Paulschulzia
Paulschulzia pseudovolvox
Phormidium
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Pseudanabaena
screening
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Summary:This work describes the development of an easily constructed, cost-effective photosynthetic microbial fuel cell design with highly reproducible electrochemical characteristics that can be used to screen algae and cyanobacteria for photosynthetic electrogenic activity. It is especially suitable for benthic varieties, those that attach to surfaces. The anode chamber of the cell uses disposable polystyrene sample bottles (pottles) with a simple-to-apply carbon coating. These chambers can be used to grow photosynthetic microorganisms without a cathode for electrochemical characterization or with a cathode and load applied to provide electrogenic selective pressure. The utility of the design for screening, isolating and analysing photosynthetic electrogenic microorganisms under a wide variety of conditions is demonstrated. Several genera of benthic cyanobacteria from both New Zealand and Antarctica were shown to be electrogenic including Pseudanabaena, Leptolyngbya, Chroocococales, Phormidesmis, Microcoleus, Nostoc and Phormidium. A benthic strain of the eukaryote Paulschulzia pseudovolvox (Chlorophyceae) was isolated and identified, which had very good electrogenic qualities.
ISSN:0921-8971
1573-5176
DOI:10.1007/s10811-013-0051-2