Bridge-Mediated Electron Transfer: Bioinspired Redox Communication for Sustained Nitrite-Independent Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation

The lack of nitrite (NO2–) in real
wastewater severely limits the sustainable nitrogen removal of anaerobic
ammonium oxidation (anammox). Although microbial extracellular electron
transfer (EET) provides a new approach for NO2–-independent anammox, the slow electron transfer at the microbe–material
interface hinders its engineering application. Herein, this study
proposes a strategy to enhance the electrical contact between microorganisms
and insoluble acceptors through conductive bridging materials (e.g.,
Fe2O3 nanoparticles encapsulated by flavin-rich
extracellular polymeric substances). Results showed that the interface
between anammox bacteria (AMX1) and Fe2O3 exhibited
a high electron flux (6.86 mA·cm–2), considerably
higher than all reports to date, achieving stable ammonium (NH4+) removal of approximately 97.90% and operating
continuously for over 150 days. Building on the efficient EET, Fe2O3 was further triggered into Fe2+/Fe3+ redox signaling for microbial metabolic coordination. Specifically,
Fe2+ signals channeled reducing power into coenzyme A/biotin
synthesis in symbiotic bacteria (VER2) and fed back to the carbon
fixation enzyme (FC = 1.1-fold) of AMX1 through chemotaxis migration
and cross-feeding, while Fe2+ was reconverted to Fe3+. The Fe3+ signals induced gene expression (Log2FC > 0) of EET-associated proteins and simultaneously facilitated
the conversion of electricity to critical chemical energy, accelerating
the autotrophic growth of AMX1. In this way, anammox bacteria not
only survived but also thrived in NO2–-limited environments, with relative abundance increasing by 127.22%
to sustain NH4+ removal. This study offers a
novel solution to the NO2– supply challenge
in wastewater treatment, advancing industry toward carbon neutrality
goals.