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Introducing the Electric Microbe, Geobacter sulfurreducens. Meet the tiny microorganism that's sparking a big interest in the scientific community! Geobacter sulfurreducens is a remarkable bacterium that's capable of generating electricity, cleaning up contaminated environments, and inspiring innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
Geobacter sulfurreducens is a remarkable bacterium that thrives in diverse environments such as aquatic sediments, soil, and subsurface environments. G. sulfurreducens can also be found in contaminated sites, such as those with heavy metal pollution.
What distinguishes G. sulfurreducens is its unique ability to thrive on metallic minerals or electrodes, producing electricity independently of traditional nutrients like sugars. Furthermore, this bacterium can directly transfer electrons to electrodes, rendering it a vital component in bio-electrochemical systems.
Geobacter sulfurreducens is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium capable of reducing iron oxides, sulphur, and other electron acceptors, thereby generating electrical energy.
Distinctive features of this bacterium include a flagellum and type four pili, which facilitate movement and interaction with its environment. Moreover, G. sulfurreducens contains enzymes that produce signals regulating its ability to harness electrical energy from metals.
Geobacter sulfurreducens has significant biotechnological potential due to its ability to transfer electrons directly to electrodes and other microorganisms. This property makes it a key player in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), with applications in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), bioremediation, and methane production._ G. sulfurreducens_ can efficiently convert organic wastes and renewable biomass into electricity, making it a promising biocatalyst for sustainable energy solutions.
The conductive biofilms of Geobacter sulfurreducens have potential applications in renewable energy, bioremediation, and bioelectronics.
Electroactive microorganisms have developed metabolic features that allow them to thrive in extreme environments, using toxic and radioactive compounds as terminal electron acceptors. These features make them interesting targets for Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (METs), ranging from bioenergy production and bioremediation applications to the fields of bioelectronics and bionanotechnology.
