A meta-analysis of acetogenic and methanogenic microbiomes in microbial electrosynthesis

Mills, S., Dessì, P., Pant, D., Farràs, P., Sloan, W. T. , Collins, G. and Ijaz, U. Z. (2022) A meta-analysis of acetogenic and methanogenic microbiomes in microbial electrosynthesis. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 8, 73. (doi: 10.1038/s41522-022-00337-5) (PMID:36138044) (PMCID:PMC9500080)

Abstract

A meta-analysis approach was used, to study the microbiomes of biofilms and planktonic communities underpinning microbial electrosynthesis (MES) cells. High-throughput DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons has been increasingly applied to understand MES systems. In this meta-analysis of 22 studies, we find that acetogenic and methanogenic MES cells share 80% of a cathodic core microbiome, and that different inoculum pre-treatments strongly affect community composition. Oxygen scavengers were more abundant in planktonic communities, and several key organisms were associated with operating parameters and good cell performance. We suggest Desulfovibrio sp. play a role in initiating early biofilm development and shaping microbial communities by catalysing H2 production, to sustain either Acetobacterium sp. or Methanobacterium sp. Microbial community assembly became more stochastic over time, causing diversification of the biofilm (cathodic) community in acetogenic cells and leading to re-establishment of methanogens, despite inoculum pre-treatments. This suggests that repeated interventions may be required to suppress methanogenesis.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ijaz, Dr Umer and Sloan, Professor William
• Authors: Mills, S., Dessì, P., Pant, D., Farràs, P., Sloan, W. T., Collins, G., and Ijaz, U. Z.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
• Journal Name: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 2055-5008
• ISSN (Online): 2055-5008
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes 8: 73
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
170256		Understanding microbial community through in situ environmental 'omic data synthesis	Umer Zeeshan Ijaz	Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)	NE/L011956/1	ENG - Infrastructure & Environment
300451		Optimising decentralised low-cost wastewater infrastructure by managing the microbes	William Sloan	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/P029329/1	ENG - Infrastructure & Environment
309846		Decentralised water technologies	William Sloan	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/V030515/1	ENG - Infrastructure & Environment