Many bacterial and archaeal species can couple growth to the respiratory reduction or oxidation of insoluble mineral oxides of transition metals. These solid substrates are abundant electron sinks and sources for life on Earth, but, since they are insoluble in water, they cannot enter the bacterial cells. So, to exploit these electron sinks and sources, specific respiratory electron-transfer mechanisms must overcome the physical limitations associated with electron transfer between a microbe and extracellular metal oxides. Recent microbiological, geochemical, biochemical, spectroscopic and structural work is beginning to shed light on the molecular mechanism and impacts of electron transfer at the microbe–mineral interface from a nanometre to kilometre scale. The research field is attracting attention in applied quarters from those with interests in nanowires, microbial fuel cells, bioremediation and microbial cell factories.
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December 2012
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Conference Article|
November 21 2012
Electron Transport at the Microbe–Mineral Interface: a synthesis of current research challenges
David J. Richardson;
David J. Richardson
1
*School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR6 7TJ, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (emaild.richardson@uea.ac.uk).
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James K. Fredrickson;
James K. Fredrickson
†Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA 99352, U.S.A.
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John M. Zachara
John M. Zachara
†Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA 99352, U.S.A.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
September 14 2012
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2012 The Authors Journal
2012
Biochem Soc Trans (2012) 40 (6): 1163–1166.
Article history
Received:
September 14 2012
Citation
David J. Richardson, James K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara; Electron Transport at the Microbe–Mineral Interface: a synthesis of current research challenges. Biochem Soc Trans 1 December 2012; 40 (6): 1163–1166. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20120242
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