Geobacteraceae strains and methods
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts
InventorsDerek R. Lovley, Kelly P. Nevin, Hana Yi
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of producing genetically modified strains of electricigenic microbes that are specifically adapted for the production of electrical current in microbial fuel cells, as well as strains produced by such methods and fuel cells using such strains. In preferred embodiments, the present invention provides genetically modified strains of Geobacter sulfurreducens and methods of using such strains.
Claims19
An isolated culture of a genetically modified strain of an electricigenic microbe selected from the group consisting of Desulfuromonas acetoxidans, Geobacter metallireducens, Geobacter sulfurreducens, or Rhodoferax ferrireducens.
The isolated culture deposited under ATCC Accession No. PTA-10251.
A microbial fuel cell comprising:
- a housing having an anode chamber and a cathode chamber;
- an anode disposed in an anaerobic environment within the anode chamber and electrically connected to an anode terminal;
- a strain of a genetically modified electricigenic microbe disposed in the anaerobic environment within the anode chamber;
- a cathode disposed in an aerobic environment within the cathode chamber and electrically connected to a cathode terminal;
- and
- a semi-permeable barrier that provides ionic communication between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber.
A method of producing a genetically modified electricigenic microbial strain comprising the steps of:
- a. providing an aliquot of electricigenic microbial cells;
- b. providing a sterile microbial fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, an anode chamber in electrical communication through a proton exchange membrane with;
- a cathode chamber and a suitable growth medium for the aliquot of electricigenic microbial cells;
- c. placing the aliquot of electricigenic microbial cells in the anode chamber of the microbial fuel cell;
- d. maintaining a selected potential difference between the anode and the cathode of the microbial fuel cell using a potentiostat;
- e. measuring the amplitude of the current flowing between the anode and the cathode;
- f. removing an aliquot of electricigenic microbial cells from the anode chamber when the current flowing between the anode and the cathode reaches a criterion current amplitude;
- and
- g. repeating steps a-f M times, where M is an integer from 5 to 50 inclusive, thereby producing a genetically modified electricigenic microbial strain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.