A biofilm microreactor system for simultaneous electrochemical and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques
In order to fully understand electrochemically active biofilms and the limitations to their scale-up in industrial biofilm reactors, a complete picture of the microenvironments inside the biofilm is needed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques are ideally suited for the study of biofilms and for probing their microenvironments because these techniques allow for non-invasive interrogation and in situ monitoring with high resolution. By combining NMR with simultaneous electrochemical techniques, it is possible to sustain and study live electrochemically active biofilms. Here, we introduce a novel biofilm microreactor system that allows for simultaneous electrochemical and NMR techniques (EC-NMR) at the microscale. Microreactors were designed with custom radiofrequency resonator coils, which allowed for NMR measurements of biofilms growing on polarized gold electrodes. For an example application of this system, we grew Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms. NMR was used to investigate growth media flow velocities, which were compared to simulated laminar flow, and electron donor concentrations inside the biofilms. We use Monte Carlo error analysis to estimate standard deviations of the electron donor concentration measurements within the biofilm. The EC-NMR biofilm microreactor system can ultimately be used to correlate extracellular electron transfer rates with metabolic reactions and explore extracellular electron transfer mechanisms.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL); The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States); Bruker BioSpin Corporation, Billerica, MA (United States); Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1132675
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-94214; 47514; TRN: US1400373
- Journal Information:
- Water Science and Technology, Vol. 69, Issue 5; ISSN 0273-1223
- Publisher:
- IWA Publishing
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Diffusion in biofilms respiring on electrodes
Modeling biofilms with dual extracellular electron transfer mechanisms