Biofilms in Bioelectrochemical Systems From Laboratory Practice to Data Interpretation

This book serves as a manual of research techniques for electrochemically active biofilm research. Using examples from real biofilm research to illustrate the techniques used for electrochemically active biofilms, this book is of most use to researchers and educators studying microbial fuel cell and bioelectrochemical systems. The book emphasizes the theoretical principles of bioelectrochemistry, experimental procedures and tools useful in quantifying electron transfer processes in biofilms, and mathematical modeling of electron transfer in biofilms. It is divided into three sections:

• Biofilms: Microbiology and microbioelectrochemistry - Focuses on the microbiologic aspect of electrochemically active biofilms and details the key points of biofilm preparation and electrochemical measurement
• Electrochemical techniques to study electron transfer processes - Focuses on electrochemical characterization and data interpretation, highlighting key factors in the experimental procedures that affect reproducibility
• Applications - Focuses on applications of electrochemically active biofilms and development of custom tools to study electrochemically active biofilms. Chapters detail how to build the reactors for applications and measure parameters

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS vii

PREFACE xi

1 Introduction to Electrochemically Active Biofilms 1
Jerome T. Babauta and Haluk Beyenal

2 Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Culturing Geobacter Biofilms in Microbial Fuel Cells and Other Bioelectrochemical Systems 37
Allison M. Speers and Gemma Reguera

3 Microbial Community Characterization on Polarized Electrode Surfaces 61
John M. Regan and Hengjing Yan

4 Characterization of Electrode-Associated Biomass and Microbial Communities 83
Orianna Bretschger, Shino Suzuki, Shun’ichi Ishii, Crystal Snowden, and Lisa McDonald

5 Biofilm Electrochemistry 121
Jerome T. Babauta and Haluk Beyenal

6 Theory of Redox Conduction and The Measurement of Electron Transport Rates Through Electrochemically Active Biofilms 177
Darryl A. Boyd, Jeffrey S. Erickson, Jared N. Roy, Rachel M. Snider, Sarah M. Strycharz-Glaven, and Leonard M. Tender

7 Electronic Conductivity in Living Biofilms: Physical Meaning, Mechanisms, and Measurement Methods 211
Nikhil S. Malvankar and Derek R. Lovley

8 Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy as A Powerful Analytical Tool for The Study of Microbial Electrochemical Cells 249
Rachel A. Yoho, Sudeep C. Popat, Francisco Fabregat-Santiago, Sixto Giménez, Annemiek Ter Heijne, and César I. Torres

9 Mathematical Modeling of Extracellular Electron Transfer in Biofilms 281
Ryan Renslow, Jerome Babauta, Andrew Kuprat, Jim Schenk, Cornelius Ivory, Jim Fredrickson, and Haluk Beyenal

10 Applications of Bioelectrochemical Energy Harvesting in The Marine Environment 345
Clare E. Reimers

11 Large-Scale Benthic Microbial Fuel Cell Construction, Deployment, and Operation 367
Jeff Kagan, Lewis Hsu, and Bart Chadwick

INDEX 00

Haluk Beyenal, PhD, is Full Professor at the Gene and Linda Voil and School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University. He worked as a post-doctoral researcher and then Assistant Research Professor in biofilm structure and function and bioelectrochemistry research groups in the Center for Biofilm Engineering.  He has authored over 105 scientific publications and a book on biofilms with Professor Zbigniew Lewandowski entitled "Fundamentals of Biofilm Research".  In 2007 and 2010, he received 3M non-tenured faculty award and National Science Foundation CAREER award to study electrochemically active biofilms, respectively.

Jerome T. Babauta, PhD,an expert in biofilm electrochemistry and the integration of tools to study biofilms with electrochemical methods. He has combined tools such as microsensors, quartz crystal microbalances, and rotating electrodes with traditional electrochemical methods to develop new ways to study electrochemically active biofilms.Currently, his primary interest is to understand the fundamentals of biofilm impedance for electrochemically active biofilms operating in a wide range of research topics including bioelectrochemical systems, metal corrosion, and biofilm control