Bioelectrochemical systems hold tremendous promise in that they offer a mechanism for energy interconvertion and storage between living cells and inorganic materials. However, one of the great challenges in understanding extracellular electron transfer in native organisms is the complexity of these cellular systems and the potential for multiple biomolecular pathways to simultaneously operate. Thus, we have undertaken the unusual approach of exploring extracellular electron transfer by genetically transplanting components of pathways into the model microbe E. coli. We demonstrate that we can functionally express the Shewanella oneidensis proteins MtrC, MtrA, and MtrB in a single E. coli strain. This 'electrified' E. coli strain is then able to reduce soluble metals and insoluble metal oxides ~8x and ~4x faster, respectively, than wild-type E. coli. These experiments show that a single operon can enable extracellular electron transfer and demonstrates that the utility of our learning-by-building approach.

Deciphering bioelectrochemical systems through a learning-by-building approach

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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