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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2006, p. 7345-7348, Vol. 72, No. 11
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01444-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

SHORT REPORT

Biofilm and Nanowire Production Leads to Increased Current in Geobacter sulfurreducens Fuel Cells{triangledown}

Gemma Reguera,* Kelly P. Nevin, Julie S. Nicoll, Sean F. Covalla, Trevor L. Woodard, and Derek R. Lovley

Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003

Received 22 June 2006/ Accepted 14 August 2006

Geobacter sulfurreducens developed highly structured, multilayer biofilms on the anode surface of a microbial fuel cell converting acetate to electricity. Cells at a distance from the anode remained viable, and there was no decrease in the efficiency of current production as the thickness of the biofilm increased. Genetic studies demonstrated that efficient electron transfer through the biofilm required the presence of electrically conductive pili. These pili may represent an electronic network permeating the biofilm that can promote long-range electrical transfer in an energy-efficient manner, increasing electricity production more than 10-fold.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, 6190 Biomedical and Physical Sciences, East Lansing, MI 48824-4320. Phone: (517) 355-6463, ext. 1607. Fax: (517) 353-8957. E-mail: reguera{at}msu.edu.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 25 August 2006.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2006, p. 7345-7348, Vol. 72, No. 11
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01444-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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