Microbes, cables, and an electrical touch Authors Gemma Reguera Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA Keywords: Geobacter, c-cytochromes, electrochemical reactors, microbial fuel cells, nanowires, type IV pili Abstract In nature, highly efficient and diverse consortia of microbes cycle carbon and other elements while generating energy for growth. Driving these reactions are organisms with the ability to extract electrons from the chemical substrates and transfer them to insoluble and soluble electron acceptors. One bacterial group in particular, Geobacter spp., can couple their respiratory metabolism to the reduction of insoluble minerals, such as iron and manganese oxides, and soluble toxic metals such as uranium. Key to these activities is the ability of the cells to transfer respiratory electrons extracellularly using an electroactive cell envelope containing abundant metalloproteins, including c-cytochromes, and conductive protein appendages or pili (known as nanowires). Thus, in addition to been ecological drivers of the cycling of carbon and metals in nature, these organisms show promise for the bioremediation of environments impacted with toxic metals. The electrical activity of Geobacter can also be mimicked in electrochemical reactors equipped with an electrode poised at a metabolically oxidizing potential, so that the electrode functions as an unlimited sink of electrons to drive the oxidation of electron donors and support cell growth. Electrochemical reactors are promising for the treatments of agricultural, industrial, and human wastes, and the electroactivity of these microbes can be used to develop materials and devices for bioenergy and bioremediation applications. [Int Microbiol 18(3):151-157 (2015)]Keywords: Geobacter · c-cytochromes · electrochemical reactors · microbial fuel cells · nanowires · type IV pili Downloads PDF Issue Vol. 18 No. 3 (2015) Section The 25th Sem Congress (Logroño, Spain, July 7-10, 2015). Research Reviews License Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsability for releasing this material and will act on behalf of any and all coauthors regarding the editorial review and publication process.If an article is accepted for publication in International Microbiology, the authors (or other copyright holder) must transfer to the journal the right–not exclusive–to reproduce and distribute the article including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature. Nevertheless, all article in International Microbiology will be available on the Internet to any reader at no cost. The journal allows users to freely download, copy, print, distribute, search, and link to the full text of any article, provided the authorship and source of the published article is cited. The copyright owner's consent does not include copying for new works, or resale. In these cases, the specific written permission of International Microbiology must first be obtained.Authors are requested to create a link to the published article on the journal's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The original publication is available on LINK at <http://www.im.microbios.org>. Please use the appropiate URL for the article in LINK. Articles disseminated via LINK are indexed, abstracted, and referenced by many abstracting and information services, bibliographic networks, subscription agencies, library networks, and consortia.
