The Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB)
focuses on developing microbiological systems that capture or
develop renewable resources and also prevent or clean up
environmental pollution. Center researchers combine engineering
with microbiology, molecular biology, and chemistry in order to
gain an integrated understanding of how microbial ecosystems
work and can be controlled to reclaim polluted water, generate
energy from waste substances, and improve the public health and
sustainability.
One current focus for MFC research is
understanding the interactions between the anode biofilm and
anode electrochemistry. We take a comprehensive approach by
combining mathematical modeling, molecular biology, and
electrochemistry. Our goal is to establish key scientific
fundamentals of the anode that translates to the engineering of
an efficient MFC.
A second focus is on integrating the anode,
cathode, membrane, and physical configuration to provide a
comprehensive MFC system that is well adapted to the having
bacteria be the catalysts at the anode.
The Gardner Lab applies computational and experimental tools to map and engineering the metabolic pathways of Shewanella oneidensis to achieve enhanced current production. The organism also serves as a model system for the development and application of systems biology tools for metabolic engineering. Our two primary projects include:
Engineering transcription & metabolic networks in Shewanella: The objectives of this research are to build an integrated understanding of the metabolic and gene regulatory systems of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and their impact on electron flux. We have designed the first high-density Affymetrix oligonucleotide array for S. oneidensis MR-1, and are compiling a database of several hundred RNA expression profiles (http://m3d.bu.edu). We are combining these data with metabolic profiling data to map the transcriptional and metabolic pathways in Shewanella and to rationally optimize nutrient conditions and genetic modifications for enhanced electrical power output.
Microfluidic MFC's: The Gardner Lab is developing microfluidic, transparent, electrode arrays for single cell and community analysis of metal reduction and current generation in electrogenic microbes in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN. Techniques are being developed for controlled attachment of bacteria on patterned electrode surfaces inside microfluidic flow chambers enabling simultaneous, live cell multi-strain assays. The development of this technology will (1) enable high-throughput analysis of metal reducing bacterial physiology under precisely controlled growth and surface conditions, (2) enable quantitative modeling of microbial electron transport in metal reducing bacteria, and (3) accelerate optimization of bioremediative strategies and strain engineering for microbial fuel cells.
The Angenent Lab members incorporate molecular biology techniques, such as PCR assays and hybridization assays, to solve environmental engineering problems. The research can be grouped in two areas: bioprocessing and bioaerosols. The lab consists of 3 PhD students and a MS student.
In the area of bioprocessing our goal is to optimize anaerobic fermentation processes to grow microorganisms that can convert wastes into bioenergy, such as biogas (methane), bioelectricity, and biochemicals. We convert wastewater to electricity by bacteria in microbial fuel cells and have developed a novel reactor configuration that is promising. However, further improvement in power output is necessary, and thus we are pursuing fundamental and applied research.
The May lab focuses on the microbial
processes in microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells.Recently, the main focus of the group has
been studying the specialized microorganisms responsible for biocatalysis in
thermophilic microbial fuel cells.A
community of thermophilic microorganisms enriched from Charleston Harbor
sediment proved to be a good source of electrochemically active bacteria.Studying the microbe-electrode interactions
of these and other similar bacteria is of special interest to the group.
The Environmental Bioengineering
Laboratory of the Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council
of Canada focuses on developing high-rate microbial electrolysis cells (MECs)
and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) through a combination of our knowledge in the
areas of mathematical modeling, microbiology, and electrochemistry. Our
research includes further understanding of the microbial kinetics, the
development of non-Pt catalysts, and exploring various carbon sources for
their potential in electricity and hydrogen production in stackable MFCs and
MECs.
The BST group at ORNL is primarily involved in development of bioenergy and bioproducts from lignicellulosic feedstocks. One component of our research includes microbial and enzyme fuel cells. Our focus has been development of engineered systems capable of generating electricity at high power density and understanding the system limitations. The investigations span multiple aspects including engineering design, biology and process variables. We use tools such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy coupled with parametric analyses to delineate the internal resistances of these bioelectrochemical systems.
The research in BEEB at the department of Ecological and Biological Engineering of Oregon State University includes electricity generation using Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) and Hydrogen production using Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs). At present, the group focuses on reactor design, membrane/cloth selection, electrode development, isolation of exoelectrogens, and system optimization to improve power generation and hydrogen production from various waste biomass.
Microbial fuel cells offer great promise as a method for simultaneous wastewater treatment and renewable energy generation. The Penn State group, led by Dr. Bruce Logan, focuses primarily on MFC architecture and factors that will lead to successful scale up designs. They use both air-cathode and aqueous (dissolved oxygen) cathode systems to better understand factors that limit power generation, and examine how power density can be increased while using low-cost yet effective materials. They also have modified the MFC process and are looking systems that
Our
microbial fuel cell (MFC) research group is a combination of specialists in
BioMEMS (Bio MicroElectroMechanical Systems), micro/nano technology,
microfludics, microbiology, and bioenergy.Prof. Arum Han (Electrical and Computer Engineering & Biomedical
Engineering) and Prof. Paul de Figueiredo (Plant Pathology and Microbiology)
lead the group. The group focuses on developing a scalable microbial fuel cell
array that enables parallel analysis of electricigens, microbes that can
directly produce electricity. The MFC array functions as multiple independent
miniaturized MFCs.Microfabrication
technologies are used to develop the MFC array, which is a compact and user-friendly
platform for the identification and characterization of electrochemically
active microbes in parallel. The current MFC array consists of 24 integrated
anode and cathode chambers that function as 24 independent miniature MFCs, and
supports direct and parallel comparisons of microbial electrochemical
activities.The MFC array demonstrates
highly repeatable results and can be used as a reliable high throughput
screening tool for various other MFC studies. We have demonstrated the use of
this array as a screening tool for environmental electroactive microbes.
Our
next step is to develop a higher throughput screening tool (96-array) with
various configurations (e.g. air cathode) that will accommodate varieties of
MFC studies.
Basic microbial fuel cell research at UMASS focuses on studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms for electron transfer between microorganisms and electrodes as well as to understand the physiology and ecology of microorganisms colonizing anodes or cathodes. This involves genome-scale investigation of gene expression, proteomics, gene manipulation, and in silico modeling as well as biophysical approaches. Applied research focuses on: development of strains with enhanced capability for electron transfer to anodes; bioremediation of contaminants with electrodes serving as the electron donor or acceptor; electrodes to monitor the activity of subsurface microorganisms; and improving the output of sediment microbial fuel cells.
The bioenergy group in University of Colorado Denver is currently a part of the U.S. National Science Foundation IGERT program on sustainable urban infrastructure. Our current MFC research focuses on using molecular tools and electrochemical analyses to understand the fundamental determinant factors of MFC systems so to enhance the design, operation, and monitoring in concert with traditional approaches. We also have interests in optimizing reactor configuration for biomass waste and for small scale biological applications.
The Multi-University Research Initiative (MURI) group involves researchers from three disciplines: microbiology, chemistry and electrochemistry, and engineering and modeling. Microbiologists are identifying the genes (and the proteins for which they code) involved with current production as well as working to understand and manipulate these genes to maximize current production. Chemists and electrochemists are developing and characterizing suitable membrane-electrode systems. Engineers and modelers are taking advantage of microbiological and chemical findings and formulating strategies and models to design and optimize MFC performances. The MURI project tackles the problem of low power generation by addressing the fundamental problems. We are trying to understand the microbial mechanisms whereby electron transport to solid electrode surfaces occurs, interface these microbial catalysts with proper MFC design to optimize power production under widely varying conditions, and manipulate, and improve the microbial communities to obtain those most capable of converting complex and variable organic carbon sources into electrical energy.
Environmental Biotechnology & Bioenergy Laboratory (EBBL) is a part of the Department of Civil Engineering & Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Our interests lie at the crossroads of microbiology, engineering and electrochemistry. We are seeking a fundamental understanding of the microbial process in engineered systems designed for bioenergy production with the overarching goal to improve bioreactor performance. Our work includes but not limit to: development of environmental biotechnology for wastewater treatment, bioenergy production using microbial fuel cells, bioremediation using bio-electrochemical techniques and the understanding of these and other environmental biological processes.
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) operates as the Navy's full-spectrum corporate laboratory, conducting a broadly based multidisciplinary program of scientific research and advanced technological development directed toward maritime applications of new and improved materials, techniques, equipment, systems and ocean, atmospheric, and space sciences and related technologies. The Ringeisen Laboratory consists of engineers and physical/inorganic chemists with microbiology experience working on transitioning microbial fuel cells from anaerobic aquatic environments to aerobic water column or terrestrial applications. We are interested in replacing proton exchange membranes with less selective alternatives (nanoporous membranes) to create novel microbial fuel cell designs, enhancing biofilm formation and electron transfer to three dimensional carbon electrodes for aerobic applications, and working with bacterial species in environments significantly different from their natural habitat.
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