Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilm iTRAQ analysis

Geobacter sulfurreducens is a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium capable of forming thick electron-conducting biofilms on solid electrodes in the absence of alternative electron acceptors. The remarkable ability of such biofilms to transfer electrons, liberated from soluble organic electron donors, over long distances has attracted scientific interest as to the mechanism for this process, and technological interest for application to microbial fuel and electrolysis cells and sensors. Here, we employ comparative proteomics to identify key metabolic pathways involved in G. sulfurreducens respiration by planktonic cells versus electron-conducting biofilms, in an effort to elucidate long-range electron transfer mechanisms.