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Operational temperature regulates anodic biofilm growth and the development of electrogenic activity

Provided an important insight into the link between operational temperature, biofilm development and electrochemical activity in the emerging area of wastewater treatment with microbial fuel cells. This work for the first time demonstrated that under pyschrophilic (10oC) and low mesophilic (20oC) temperature operation this leads to improved anodic performance through reduced rates of biomass formation and methanogenesis. The paradigm shift that low temperature and pyschrophilic metabolic activity particularly that cellular activity could be decoupled from growth rate and temperature will have a major impact of the exploitation of these microbes in industrial processes such as sewage treatment. EPRSC SUPERGEN funded.