Microbial energy conversion and practical application to an algal fuel cell.

Peter Weigele
MIT Biology and Edgerton Center
Presentation for 10.391 Sustainable Energy February 15, 2007

Department of Biology

http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/

Food and fuel subject to the same market forces?

A Culinary and Cultural Staple in Crisis: Mexico Grapples With Soaring Prices for Corn -- and Tortillas
By Manuel Roig-Franzia Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, January 27, 2007; A01

Mexico is in the grip of the worst tortilla crisis in its modern history. Dramatically rising international corn prices, spurred by demand for the grain-based fuel ethanol, have led to expensive tortillas.

9 x 109 by 2050

respiration!

Electrons go where they are most wanted...

Aerobic respiration: O2 as terminal electron acceptor

Bacteria are beautiful by Diane Newman

Anaerobic respiration with Iron(III) as extracellular terminal e- acceptor

soluble electron carriers

Bacteria are beautiful by Diane Newman

see also www.geobacter.org

Protein nanowires also found in gram negative aerobes, cyanobacteria, and methanogens

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0604517103

Schematic of a microbial fuel cell

Sediment battery: a type of microbial fuel cell

Bacterial biomass from electricity

Summary, part I: The microbial fuel cell could be a core technology for energy conversion
cellulose-derived carbohydrates energy rich wastewater organic sediments sunlight electricity microbial metabolism ex vivo protein complexes anode/cathode composition electron carriers fuel cell construction

MFC

electricity hydrogen alcohols methane treated water

Part II: Photosynthesis

QuickTime and a TIFF (Un compressed) decompressor are neede d to see this picture.

NADPH

NADP+

ADP + Pi
light F1F0 ATP-

ATP

stroma

light

H+

2
Light photoHarvesting Complex system II (LHCII) (P680)

3
cyt bf complex

FNR

Fd

5
H+

synthase
Light photoHarvesting system I Complex (P700) (LHCI)

OEC

2 H2O

4 H+ + O2

PC

H+

thylakoid lumen

H+

Part III: A simple, low-cost algal fuel cell for research and education

Chlamydomonas rheinhardtii making colonies on solid medium

Photobioreactors: modular, scalable

Algal growth using an airlift bioreactor

Gas Dispersion Tube Only

Airlift with Gas Dispersion Tube

PVC insert to create air-lift for improved mixing

PVC tubing + caps + fittings + tubing + pump = gas recirculator

The finished recirculating pump

Gas managment and fuel cell

Luer fittings and stopcocks fromCole-Parmer petstore 40 bucks from fuelcellstore.com

Bioreactor setup

Fuel cell under load

Photobioreactor
H2

Fuel Cell
e-

Online Data Monitoring

Data collection using an A/D converter

Dataq model 154, ~$100, microvolt resolution

Experimental overview

algal growth on solid substrate

grow algae with bubbling air and S+ medium

inoculate large bioreactor containing S- medium

seal, start pump, and collect data

measure cell mass, and chlorophyll concentration

Do other kinds of green, microalgae make H2?

Chlamydomonas rheinhardtii

Unknown: WP2

Unknown: WP1

Testing different algal strains (note clumping Chlamy)

Algal strain choice impacts H2 production:

As Indicated by Varying Voltage Output

data from 10.28 Team C, 2006

data from 10.28 Team C, 2006

10.28 Team C

Sohrab Virk Asish Misra Joia Ramachandani

Sophmore biology students from Nashoba Regional HS

Kay Leigh

Kay

Andrew Hoy

Mackey Craven

Many, many thanks!

Nina Kshetry Sam Jewell

Tom Knight Jon King Chris Kaiser

Samantha Sutton Jason Kelly openwetware.org

J.F. Hamel and 10.28

Team C Joia Ramachandani Asish Misra Sohrab Virk David Form, NRHS Ashley, Meaghan, Kay Leigh, Jackie, and Kay

Edgerton Center Steven Banzaert Sandi Lipnonski

New blood! John M. Craven Andrew Hoy

6 CO2 + 6 H2O --> C6H12O6

Marine Synechococcus

Marine Synechococcus: a gram negative bacterium performing oxygenic photosynthesis.

Hill-billy photobioreactor

Syn9 host: Synechococcus WH8109 contractile tail 177,300 bp 225 orfs

200 nm