To reduce CO  to hydrocarbon fuels and commodity chemicals, our laboratory has enriched several microbial communities that have great potential in producing methane and/or valuable acids from CO  . These conversions take place in single chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs). In the case of methane production from CO  (Fig. 1), the methane production rate is 10-56 times higher than those reported when methane was released from CO  in two-chamber MEC units. In addition, this enriched microbial community thrives on a defined medium without the presence of any organic carbon and nitrogen sources. Furthermore, this community demonstrates strong attachment to the cathode (Fig. 2) prompting the hypothesis that these microbes utilize electrons directly from the electrode. Currently, we aim to maximize yield of various products from CO  through a three-fold approach: (1) understanding the microbial communities at molecular levels; (2) engineering the electrodes for better cell attachment and faster reaction rate; and (3) elucidating the interactions between microorganisms and the modified electrodes.

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Fig. 1. The enrichment process for a methane release microbial community. Arrows indicate medium replacement and CO  purging.

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Fig. 2. SEM image of the cathode

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Collaborator: Dr. Ian Suni, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC)

Funding source: Advanced Coal and Energy Research Center at SIUC

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