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Abstract

The growing need for alternative fuel sources has sparked interest and research across many scientific and engineering disciplines. The fledgling field of microbial fuel cell development has previously relied on anaerobic metal reducing organisms such as Geobacter sulfurreduccens. This project sought to isolate genes from the electron shuttling pathway in Geobacter and transform them into the more manageable aerobic Escherichia coli. The Missouri University of Science and Technology iGEM team isolated four outer membrane cytochrome (omc) genes from Geobacter, vital to the extracellular transportation of electrons. The four genes; omcB, omcE, omcS and omcT, were cloned into individual plasmids. The eventual goal is to combine all four genes into one plasmid to transform into E. coli to create an aerobic, electron transporting microbial system.

Ringeisen, Bradley R., Ricky Ray, and Brenda Little. “A Miniature Microbial Fuel Cell Operating with an Aerobic Anode Chamber.” Science Direct 165 (2007):591-97. Online.

What is a Microbial Fuel Cell?

Relevant Links:

• Microbial Fuel Cells
• Wikipedia Article
• Geobacter Research
• Fuel Cells from Rhodopherax