Adaptation experiments with G. sulfurreducens and isolates in wastewater focused on current production. Geobacter sulfurreducens

In this study the industrial wastewater of a company that produces cellulose acetate was supposed to be used as carbon and electron source for exoelectrogenic microorganisms in a bioelectrochemical system. In a first step, exoelectrogenic microorganisms were isolated from this wastewater and their ability to reduce Fe(III) was tested. Together with the lab strain Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA their performance was analyzed in a bioelectrochemical reactor regarding current production and TOC elimination. Since the initial activity of the microorganisms was rather low, we established an adaptation routine that lead to more than 70fold increased current production rates. A metatranscriptomic study was conducted to understand the adaptation of the organisms on a molecular level and to analyze the interaction within the microbiome.