# US 2017/0288252 A1 · Generation of electricity and other value-added products from culled tomatoes in microbially catalyzed electrochemical systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0288252 A1 - Document ID: US20170288252A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/476,768 - Filed: 2017-03-31 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: South Dakota Board of Regents - Applicants: South Dakota Board of Regents - Inventors: Venkataramana Gadhamshetty; Namita Shrestha; Alex Fogg - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288252A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/16: Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts - C02F 1/4604: {for desalination of seawater or brackish water} - C02F 1/4691: {Capacitive deionisation} - C12M 29/00: {Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B)} - C12M 41/28: {of redox potential} - C12M 43/00: {Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus} - C12M 43/08: {Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices or plants for production of electricity} - C12N 1/20: Bacteria; Culture media therefor - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The United States faces significant environmental burden to treat and transport ˜0.61 billion kg of defective tomatoes (culled tomatoes) every year. The present disclosure provides for the treatment and processing of culled tomatoes in microbial-electrochemical systems, using the microbial fuel cell as a model reactor. The fundamental differences between the long-term oxidative behavior of unprocessed culled tomatoes compared to the three readily soluble substrates (dextrose, acetate, and wastewater) are disclosed. AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses indicate the influential impedance contributions of the peel & seed to the cull oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry tests indicate that the indigenous redox-active pigments in the cull influence the faradaic processes involved in the cull oxidation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating electricity from matter derived from a tomato, the method comprising: providing a microbial electrochemical system having a bioreactor with opposing electrodes connected to electrical circuitry and separated by a membrane layer, wherein the bioreactor has a flow pathway, an inlet and an outlet passing between the opposing electrodes; introducing tomato matter into the flow pathway of the microbial electrochemical system, wherein the tomato matter contains an anode-respiring bacteria; and catalyzing extracellular electron transfer from the anode-respiring bacteria of the tomato matter into the opposing electrodes in the microbial electrochemical system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the tomato matter comprises tissue, columella, pericarp, vascular bundle, and locular cavity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the tomato matter comprises at least tomato peel and tomato seed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the anode-respiring bacteria comprises a redox-active species. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the redox-active species comprise carotenoids, kampferol, malvin, myricetin, naringenin, naringin, petunidin, quercetin, and riboflavin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the redox-active species are characterized by: i) a fast redox equilibration; ii) a fully reversible reaction; iii) standard redox potentials; and iv) a defined stoichiometry. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the bioreactor comprises a batch reactor, a fed-batch reactor, a continuous stirred tank reactor, or a granular sludge based upflow reactor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the opposing electrodes comprise carbonaceous material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the membrane layer comprises an anion exchange membrane or a cation exchange membrane. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: introducing monocultures of electricity generating bacteria into the tomato matter, wherein the monocultures comprise a gamma proteobacteria, a delta proteobacteria, or firmicutes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: introducing monocultures of electricity generating bacteria into the tomato matter, wherein the monocultures comprise extremophiles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: optimizing the tomato matter with at least one of: (i) microbially produced enzymes; (ii) pigments; (iii) proteins; (iv) biopolymers. ### Claim 13 A microbial electrochemical system for generating electricity from matter derived from a tomato, the system comprising: a bioreactor with opposing electrodes connected to electrical circuitry and separated by a membrane layer, wherein the bioreactor has a flow pathway, an inlet and an outlet passing between the opposing electrodes; wherein the tomato matter containing an anode-respiring bacteria is introduced into the flow pathway of the microbial electrochemical system; and wherein extracellular electron transfer is catalyzed from the anode-respiring bacteria of the tomato matter into the opposing electrodes in the microbial electrochemical system for generating electricity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the tomato matter comprises tissue, columella, pericarp, vascular bundle, and locular cavity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the tomato matter comprises at least tomato peel and tomato seed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the tomato matter further comprises one or more monocultures of electricity generating bacteria, wherein the monocultures comprise extremophiles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the tomato matter further includes at least one optimizer comprising: (i) microbially produced enzymes; (ii) pigments; (iii) proteins; (iv) biopolymers. ### Claim 18 A galvanic process for using chemical energy from tomato matter, comprising: a microbial electrochemical device with electrical circuitry, wherein the microbial electrochemical device has a flow pathway, an inlet and an outlet passing there-through; one or more controls operably configured with the electrical circuitry to ascertain one or more outputs for polarization, impedance and voltammetry of the microbial electrochemical device; wherein the tomato matter containing an anode-respiring bacteria is introduced into the flow pathway of the microbial electrochemical device; and wherein extracellular electron transfer is catalyzed from the anode-respiring bacteria of the tomato matter by the microbial electrochemical device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The galvanic process of claim 18 wherein the microbial electrochemical device comprises a microbial desalination cell for using the chemical energy of the tomato matter to desalinate sea water. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The galvanic process of claim 18 wherein the microbial electrochemical device comprises a microbial capacitive deionization cell for using the chemical energy of the tomato matter to deionize brackish water.