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Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer (DIET) Mediated by Electrically Conductive Materials
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Dear Colleagues,
Microbial communities are fundamental for the right functioning of biological-based treatment processes and energy recovery technologies. Particularly relevant is the role that microorganisms play in the oxidation of and reduction in key elements. Many of these reactions are carried out by different microbial species that work closely in the syntrophic relationship to drive otherwise energetically unfavorable reactions. The flow of electrons within these communities governs which reactions occur (thermodynamics) and their rates (kinetics).
Conventional models of electron transfer, frequently referred to as interspecies electron transfer (IET), incorporate the diffusion of metabolites generated by one organism (such as hydrogen gas and/or formate) and consumed by a second.
Another proposed mechanism, recently discovered, is direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) through extracellular electron exchange between microorganisms or mediated by electro-conductive materials.
An increasing number of studies have suggested that DIET can be stimulated by the addition of conductive materials, both in natural (e.g., soils, sediments) and engineered systems (e.g., anaerobic digesters, bioelectrochemical-assisted wetlands, so-called METlands) where syntrophic relationships play a critical role.
In particular, the addition of natural conductive minerals (iron oxides, mainly magnetite) and carbon materials (granular activated carbon, biochar, graphite, carbon cloth and carbon felt tube electrode) has, in many cases, improved electron transfer rates between microbial species, and/or between microbes and electrodes, by serving as electron conduits.
Up to now, most of the studies regarded the enhancement of DIET-based communities to accelerate and stabilize anaerobic digestion or enhance efficiency of constructed wetlands. More recently, numerous bioelectrochemical technologies are emerging from the ability of microorganisms to directly exchange electrons with electroconductive materials. Applications actively being investigated include the harvesting of electrical current from waste organic matter, electrobioremediation, microbial electrosynthesis, sensors, and biological computing. Most of these technologies are still in the early stages of development.
In this context, this Topic offers a framework for integrating interdisciplinary research, discussing the recent achievements in DIET mediated by minerals in all its aspects, and aims to understand the physiology and ecology of the process and its biogeochemical impact but also the potential practical applications.
Dr. Carolina Cruz Viggi
Dr. Federico Aulenta
Prof. Dr. Abraham Esteve-Núñez
Topic Editors
Keywords
- direct interspecies electron transfer
- conductive materials
- carbon-based minerals
- ferric oxides
- magnetite
- syntrophy
- methanogenesis
- bioelectrochemical processes
- microbial electrochemical technologies
- METlands
Participating Journals
| Journal Name | Impact Factor | CiteScore | Launched Year | First Decision (median) | APC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minerals
|
2.5 | 3.9 | 2011 | 18.7 Days | CHF 2400 |
Materials
|
3.4 | 5.2 | 2008 | 13.9 Days | CHF 2600 |
Microorganisms
|
4.5 | 6.4 | 2013 | 15.1 Days | CHF 2700 |
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