'Wiring' microbes to electrodes to study bioenergetics of prokaryotes and improve microbial-fuel cells.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) make it possible to generate electricity from many organic compounds including waste. A single E. coli cell could theoretically produce 16000 kW per m3. MFCs are thus a highly attractive alternative energy source. In practice, however, the power output of MFCs is low. Improving power output will have a major impact on practical implementation of MFCs. Remarkable progress has already been made: the power density increased by over six orders of magnitude in 1998-2008. Consequently, MFCs have become a really hot topic (ca. 450 papers in 2011 compared to < 100 prior to 2007; 10000 citations in 2011), with the interest driven by the technological advances, increased energy demand and soaring energy prices. In the last few years, however, the progress slowed; we believe that further development requires an interdisciplinary effort.

One of the major bottlenecks that limits the performance of MFCs is the rate of electron transfer from the microbe to the solid metallic surface (electrode) that is the anode. In this project you will study alternative ways in which bacteria can be interfaced with electrode surfaces. Not only will this provide insights for MFC technology, but these experimental systems gives us the opportunity to directly interact with the bioenergetic pathways of the bacteria, given a unique 'cyborg' platform to study the microbe metabolism in unprecedented detail.