Microbial extracellular electron transfer and strategies for engineering electroactive microorganisms

Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) are ubiquitous in nature and have attracted considerable attention as they can be used for energy recovery and environmental remediation via their extracellular electron transfer (EET) capabilities. Although the EET mechanisms of Shewanella and Geobacter have been...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotechnology advances 2021-12, Vol.53, p.107682-107682, Article 107682
Main Authors: Zhao, Juntao, Li, Feng, Cao, Yingxiu, Zhang, Xinbo, Chen, Tao, Song, Hao, Wang, Zhiwen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archaea
Bioelectric Energy Sources
Biofilms
Biology
Cytochrome
Cytochromes
Economic development
Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs)
Electroactivity
Electrodes
Electron shuttles
Electron transfer
Electron Transport
Electrons
Energy recovery
Extracellular electron transfer (EET)
Geobacter
Interface reactions
Microorganisms
Shewanella
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Summary:Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) are ubiquitous in nature and have attracted considerable attention as they can be used for energy recovery and environmental remediation via their extracellular electron transfer (EET) capabilities. Although the EET mechanisms of Shewanella and Geobacter have been rigorously investigated and are well characterized, much less is known about the EET mechanisms of other microorganisms. For EAMs, efficient EET is crucial for the sustainable economic development of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). Currently, the low efficiency of EET remains a key factor in limiting the development of BESs. In this review, we focus on the EET mechanisms of different microorganisms, (i.e., bacteria, fungi, and archaea). In addition, we describe in detail three engineering strategies for improving the EET ability of EAMs: (1) enhancing transmembrane electron transport via cytochrome protein channels; (2) accelerating electron transport via electron shuttle synthesis and transmission; and (3) promoting the microbe-electrode interface reaction via regulating biofilm formation. At the end of this review, we look to the future, with an emphasis on the cross-disciplinary integration of systems biology and synthetic biology to build high-performance EAM systems. •Extracellular electron transfer mechanisms are summarized.•Extracellular electron transport pathways of microorganisms are summarized.•Engineering strategies for improving EET capabilities are reviewed.•New insights on further EET research are presented.
ISSN:0734-9750
1873-1899
DOI:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107682