Nikolaos Xafenias

Enhanced performance of hexavalent chromium reducing cathodes in the presence of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and lactate.

Biocathodes for the reduction of the highly toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) were investigated using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (MR-1) as a biocatalyst and performance was assessed in terms of current production and Cr(VI) reduction. Potentiostatically controlled experiments (-500 mV vs Ag/AgCl) showed that a mediatorless MR-1 biocathode started up under aerated conditions in the presence of lactate, received 5.5 and 1.7 times more electrons for Cr(VI) reduction over a 4 h operating period than controls without lactate and with lactate but without MR-1, respectively. Cr(VI) reduction was also enhanced, with a decrease in concentration over the 4 h operating period of 9 mg/L Cr(VI), compared to only 1 and 3 mg/L, respectively, in the controls. Riboflavin, an electron shuttle mediator naturally produced by MR-1, was also found to have a positive impact in potentiostatically controlled cathodes. Additionally, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with MR-1 and lactate present in both anode and cathode produced a maximum current density of 32.5 mA/m(2) (1000 Ω external load) after receiving a 10 mg/L Cr(VI) addition in the cathode, and cathodic efficiency increased steadily over an 8 day operation period with successive Cr(VI) additions. In conclusion, effective and continuous Cr(VI) reduction with associated current production were achieved when MR-1 and lactate were both present in the biocathodes.

Enhancement of anaerobic lysine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum electrofermentations

It has been suggested that application of electric potential can affect lysine producing fermentations, although experimental evidence is lacking. To study this hypothesis we used the lysine producer Corynebacterium glutamicum ZW04, and we exposed it to 12 different conditions regarding anaerobic gas environment, applied electrode potential (cathodic, open circuit, anodic), redox mediator and nitrate presence. The gas environment was found to play a major role, with CO2 leading to double the lysine concentrations and yields when compared to N2. Electrode potentials also played a major role, with reductive conditions doubling the titers and increasing the yields of lysine up to 4 times. Addition of the redox mediator anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQ2S) under the presence of CO2 and reductive conditions led to additional doubling of the titers, although the yields were not altered considerably. This study demonstrates for the first time that cathodic electrode conditions combined with CO2 and AQ2S as a redox mediator can significantly improve both the yields and the titers of lysine production of a C. glutamicum lysine producing strain, reaching levels that have only been achieved under aerobic conditions.

Cathodes enhance Corynebacterium glutamicum growth with nitrate and promote acetate and formate production

The industrially important Corynebacterium glutamicum can only incompletely reduce nitrate into nitrite which then accumulates and inhibits growth. Herein we report that cathodes can resolve this problem and enhance glucose fermentation and growth by promoting nitrite reduction. Cell growth was inhibited at relatively high potentials but was significant when potentials were more reductive (-1.20V with anthraquinone-2-sulfonate as redox mediator or -1.25V vs. Ag/AgCl). Under these conditions, glucose was consumed up to 6 times faster and acetate was produced at up to 11 times higher yields (up to 1.1mol/mol-glucose). Acetate concentrations are the highest reported so far for C. glutamicum under anaerobic conditions, reaching values up to 5.3±0.3g/L. Herein we also demonstrate for the first time formate production (up to 3.4±0.3g/L) by C. glutamicum under strongly reducing conditions, and we attribute this to a possible mechanism of CO2 bioreduction that was electrochemically triggered.