INVESTIGADORES
MASSAZZA diego Ariel
artículos
Título:
Energetics, electron uptake mechanisms and limitations of electroautotrophs growing on biocathodes – A review
Autor/es:
MASSAZZA, DIEGO; ROBLEDO, ALEJANDRO JAVIER; RODRIGUEZ SIMÓN, CARLOS NORBERTO; BUSALMEN, JUAN PABLO; BONANNI, SEBASTIÁN
Revista:
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Referencias:
Año: 2021 vol. 342
ISSN:
0960-8524
Resumen:
Electroautotrophs are microorganisms that can take the electrons needed for energy generation, CO2 fixation and other metabolic reactions from a polarized electrode. They have been the focus of intense research for its application in wastewater treatment, bioelectrosynthetic processes and hydrogen generation. As a general trend, current densities produced by the electron uptake of these microorganisms are low, limiting their applicability at large scale. In this work, the electron uptake mechanisms that may operate in electroautotrophs are reviewed, aiming at finding possible causes for this low performance. Biomass yields, growth rates and electron uptake rates observed when these microorganisms use chemical electron donors are compared with those typically obtained with electrodes, to explore limitations and advantages inherent to the electroautotrophic metabolism. Also, the factors affecting biofilm development are analysed to show how interfacial interactions condition bacterial adhesion, biofilm growth and electrons uptake. Finally, possible strategies to overcome these limitations are described.