• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.590-598
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• 2011

Bacterial assimilation of $CO_2$ into stable biomolecules using electrochemical reducing power may be an effective method to reduce atmospheric $CO_2$ without fossil fuel combustion. For the enrichment of the $CO_2$-fixing bacteria using electrochemical reducing power as an energy source, a cylinder-type electrochemical bioreactor with a built-in anode compartment was developed. A graphite felt cathode modified with neutral red (NR-graphite cathode) was used as a solid electron mediator to induce bacterial cells to fix $CO_2$ using electrochemical reducing power. Bacterial $CO_2$ consumption was calculated based on the variation in the ratio of $CO_2$ to $N_2$ in the gas reservoir. $CO_2$ consumed by the bacteria grown in the electrochemical bioreactor (2,000 ml) reached a maximum of approximately 1,500 ml per week. Time-coursed variations in the bacterial community grown with the electrochemical reducing power and $CO_2$ in the mineral-based medium were analyzed via temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of the 16S rDNA variable region. Some of the bacterial community constituents noted at the initial time disappeared completely, but some of them observed as DNA signs at the initial time were clearly enriched in the electrochemical bioreactor during 24 weeks of incubation. Finally, Alcaligenes sp. and Achromobacter sp., which are capable of autotrophically fixing $CO_2$, were enriched to major constituents of the bacterial community in the electrochemical bioreactor.

• Composites Research
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.190-196
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• 2024

분리판은 바나듐 레독스 흐름전지(VRFB) 스택 내 셀의 전기적 통로 및 구조적 지지 역할 수행하는 매우 중요한 부품 중 하나이다. 흑연 소재는 전기 전도성이 뛰어나 분리판에 주로 사용되지만, 셀 스택에서 전극과 분리판 사이에 높은 계면 접촉 저항(ICR)이 발생하여 VRFB의 성능에 심각한 제한이 존재한다. 본 연구에서는 ICR의 한계를 해결할 수 있는 일체형 전극-분리판 조립체를 개발하는 것을 목표로 하였다. 일체형 조립체는 핫 프레스 방법을 활용하여 열가소성 및 열경화성 폴리머와 단일 탄소 펠트를 사용하여 제작하였다. 실험 결과, 일체형 조립체가 연속적인 전기 경로로 인해 감소된 전체 저항을 나타냄을 확인하였다. 또한, 충/방전 셀 테스트 결과에서 일체형 조립체는 향상된 셀 성능을 보여주었다. 따라서 개발된 일체형 전극-분리판 조립체는 기존의 분리판 및 전극 조립체를 대체할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권8호
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• pp.836-844
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• 2009

A denitrification bacterium was isolated from riverbed soil and identified as Ochrobactrum sp., whose specific enzymes for denitrification metabolism were biochemically assayed or confirmed with specific coding genes. The denitrification activity of strain G3-1 was proportional to glucose/nitrate balance, which was consistent with the theoretical balance (0.5). The modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red, which functions as a solid electron mediator, enhanced the electron transfer from electrode to bacterial cell. The porous carbon anode was coated with a ceramic membrane and cellulose acetate film in order to permit the penetration of water molecules from the catholyte to the outside through anode, which functions as an air anode. A non-compartmented electrochemical bioreactor (NCEB) comprised of a solid electron mediator and an air anode was employed for cultivation of G3-1 cells. The intact G3-1 cells were immobilized in the solid electron mediator, by which denitrification activity was greatly increased at the lower glucose/nitrate balance than the theoretical balance (0.5). Metabolic stability of the intact G3-1 cells immobilized in the solid electron mediator was extended to 20 days, even at a glucose/nitrate balance of 0.1.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권12호
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• pp.1665-1671
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• 2009

Anaerobic digestion sludge was cultivated in an electrochemical bioreactor (ECB) to enrich the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. A modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red (NR-cathode) was charged with electrochemical reducing power generated from a solar cell. The methane and carbon dioxide collected in a Teflon bag from the ECB were more than 80 ml/l of reactant/day and less than 20 ml/l of reactant/day, respectively, whereas the methane and carbon dioxide collected from a conventional bioreactor (CB) was around 40 ml/l of reactant/day, respectively. Moreover, the maximal volume ratios of methane to carbon dioxide (M/C ratio) collected in the Teflon bag from the ECB and CB were 7 and 1, respectively. The most predominant methanogens isolated from the CB on the $20^{th}$, $80^{th}$, and $150^{th}$ days of incubation were hydrogenotrophs. The methanogenic diversity analyzed by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of the 16S rDNA variable region was higher in the ECB than in the CB. The DNA extracted from the TGGE bands was more than 95% homologous with hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the ECB, but was an aceticlastic methanogen in the CB. In conclusion, the ECB was demonstrated as a useful system for enriching hydrogenotrophic methanogens and increasing the M/C ratio of the gas product.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권7호
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• pp.666-674
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• 2009

An electrochemical bioreactor (ECB) composed of a cathode compartment and an air anode was used in this study to characterize the ethanol fermentation of Zymomonas mobilis. The cathode and air anode were constructed of modified graphite felt with neutral red (NR) and a modified porous carbon plate with cellulose acetate and porous ceramic membrane, respectively. The air anode operates as a catalyst to generate protons and electrons from water. The growth and ethanol production of Z. mobilis were 50% higher in the ECB than were observed under anoxic nitrogen conditions. Ethanol production by growing cells and the crude enzyme of Z. mobilis were significantly lower under aerobic conditions than under other conditions. The growing cells and crude enzyme of Z. mobilis did not catalyze ethanol production from pyruvate and acetaldehyde. The membrane fraction of crude enzyme catalyzed ethanol production from glucose, but the soluble fraction did not. NADH was oxidized to $NAD^+$in association with $H_2O_2$reduction, via the catalysis of crude enzyme. Our results suggested that NADH/$NAD^+$balance may be a critical factor for ethanol production from glucose in the metabolism of Z. mobilis, and that the metabolic activity of both growing cells and crude enzyme for ethanol fermentation may be induced in the presence of glucose.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.154-161
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• 2011

L. lactis sk071115 has been shown to grow more actively and generate lower levels of lactate in glucose-defined medium with nitrate than in medium with Mn(IV). By adding Mn(IV) to a L. lactis culture, lactate production was relatively reduced in combination with Mn(II) production, but cell mass production levels did not increase. Both cell-free extract and intact L. lactis cells reacted electrochemically with Mn(IV) but did not react with Mn(II) upon cyclic voltammetry using neutral red (NR) as an electron mediator. A modified graphite felt cathode with NR (NR-cathode) was employed to induce electrochemical reducing equivalence for bacterial metabolism. Cell-free L. lactis extract catalyzed the reduction of Mn(IV) to Mn(II) under both control and electrochemical reduction conditions; however, the levels of Mn(II) generated under electrochemical reduction conditions were approximately 4 times those generated under control conditions. The levels of Mn(II) generated by the catalysis of L. lactis immobilized in the NR-cathode (L-NR-cathode) under electrochemical reduction conditions were more than 4 times that generated under control conditions. Mn(II) production levels were increased by approximately 2.5 and 4.5 times by the addition of citrate to the reactant under control and electrochemical reduction conditions, respectively. The cumulative Mn(II) produced from manganese ore by catalysis of the L-NR-cathode for 30 days reached levels of approximately 3,800 and 16,000 mg/l under control and electrochemical reduction conditions, respectively. In conclusion, the electrochemical reduction reaction generated by the NR-cathode activated the biochemical reduction of Mn(IV) to Mn(II) by L. lactis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.94-100
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• 2010

Zymomonas mobilis was immobilized in a modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red (NR-cathode) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cultivated on a platinum plate anode. An electrochemical redox reaction was induced by 3 volts of electric potential charged to the cathode and anode. The Z. mobilis produced 1.3-1.5 M of ethanol in the cathode compartment, whereas the S. cerevisiae produced 1.7-1.9 M in the anode compartment after 96 h. The ethanol produced by the Z. mobilis immobilized in the NR-cathode and S. cerevisiae cultivated on the platinum plate was 1.5-1.6 times higher than that produced under conventional conditions. The electrochemical oxidation potential inhibited Z. mobilis, but activated S. cerevisiae. The SDS-PAGE pattern of the total soluble proteins extracted from the Z. mobilis cultivated under the electrochemical oxidation conditions was gradually simplified in proportion to the potential intensity. Z. mobilis and S. cerevisiae were cultivated in the cathode and anode compartments, respectively, of an electrochemical redox combination system. The Z. mobilis culture cultivated in the cathode compartment for 24 h was continuously transferred to the S. cerevisiae culture in the anode compartment at a rate of 300 ml/day. Approx. 1.0-1.2 M of ethanol was produced by the Z. mobilis in the cathode compartment within 24 h, and an additional 0.8-0.9 M produced by the S. cerevisiae in the anode compartment within another 24 h. Thus, a total of 2.0-2.1 M of ethanol was produced by the electrochemical redox combination of Z. mobilis and S. cerevisiae within 48 h.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.485-493
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• 2010

A modified graphite felt electrode with neutral red (NR-electrode) was shown to catalyze the chemical oxidation of nitrite to nitrate under aerobic conditions. The electrochemically oxidized NR-electrode (EO-NR-electrode) and reduced NR-electrode (ER-NR-electrode) catalyzed the oxidation of $1,094{\pm}39$ mg/l and $382{\pm}45$ mg/l of nitrite, respectively, for 24 h. The electrically uncharged NR-electrode (EU-NR-electrode) catalyzed the oxidation of $345{\pm}47$ mg/l of nitrite for 24 h. The aerobic bacterial community immobilized in the EO-NR-electrode did not oxidize ammonium to nitrite; however, the aerobic bacterial community immobilized in the ER-NR-electrode bioelectrochemically oxidized $1,412{\pm}39$ mg/l of ammonium for 48 h. Meanwhile, the aerobic bacterial community immobilized on the EU-NR-electrode biochemically oxidized $449{\pm}22$ mg/l of ammonium for 48 h. In the continuous culture system, the aerobic bacterial community immobilized on the ER-NR-electrode bioelectrochemically oxidized a minimal $1,337{\pm}38$ mg/l to a maximal $1,480{\pm}38$ mg/l of ammonium to nitrate, and the community immobilized on the EU-NR-electrode biochemically oxidized a minimal $327{\pm}23$ mg/l to a maximal $412{\pm}26$ mg/l of ammonium to nitrate every two days. The bacterial communities cultivated in the ER-NR-electrode and EU-NR-electrode in the continuous culture system were analyzed by TGGE on the $20^{th}$ and $50^{th}$ days of incubation. Some ammonium-oxidizing bacteria were enriched on the ER-NR-electrode, but not on the EU-NR-electrode.