Advanced Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (MET)

Dear Colleagues,

The ability of microorganisms to biocatalyze electrochemical energy transformation has led to the conception, evaluation, and development of microbial electrochemical technologies (METs). This technology combines biotechnology, electrochemistry, microbiology, and electronics to offer a wide range of engineering possibilities to solve most of the main concerning environmental problems that we face today, including microbial fuel cells (MFCs), microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), microbial electrosynthesis cells (MESs), microbial biomass recovery cells (MBRCs), microbial desalination cells (MDCs), microbial carbon capture (MCC), and microbial electrolytic carbon capture (MECC).

MFCs can recover the chemical energy contained in the biodegrable organic matter of the wastewater, producing electricity. MECs are able to generate high-added value products, such as hydrogen and methane, from the organic matter contained in wastewater (WW) by only varying the applied voltage to the electroconductive electrodes. MES devices produce relevant products by applying electrical current, such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) or alcohols. As a result, MBRCs can recover lignin from biomass and MDCs are able to purify seawater from human consumption and generate electricity simultaneously. MCC is a variety of MFC that allows the carbon sequestration in the cathodic chamber while MECCs and MECs remove the CO₂ in the form of calcite and producing profitable hydrogen gas.

Due to its potential to deal with the world's most pressing problems, new approaches to this type of technology are being conceived and developed. METs are able to produce value-added products and generate electricity from wastewater, accomplishing with the main circular economy principles related to the reuse and valorization of waste. In this context, it has been demonstrated that MES and MBRC devices can be integrated in the biowaste oxidation processes of biorefineries for the synthesis of bioproducts. In addition, the carbon capture through METs aims to zero-carbon wastewater treatment plants, contributing to a climate-neutral economy.

Dr. Sara Mateo Fernandez
Dr. Yeray Asensio Ramírez
Guest Editors

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