Paper AS+CA+LS-WeA4
In Operando Molecular Imaging of Microbes as an Electrode

Wednesday, October 23, 2019, 3:20 pm, Room A211

Metal reducing bacteria, such as Shewanella and Geobacter, has attracted attention in recent years particularly for the potential as Genome Encoded Materials. They also can function as electrodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Despite the surging interest and applications of various imaging tools to understand the microbial populations, little has been explored in the in vivo study of MFCs using novel in operando electrochemical spectroscopy. We have invented a System for Analysis at the Liquid Vacuum Interface (SALVI) microfluidic cell that is suitable for culturing bacterial biofilms for in vivo molecular imaging. We have also illustrated that the electrochemical verison of SALVI or the E-cell is viable for in operando study of the electrode-electrolyte interface. We have cultured Shewanella and Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms in SALVI and published several papers recently. In this presentation, I will show most recent in operando molecular imaging results using E-cell and in situ liquid SIMS to investigate electron transport using Shewanella as a model MFC electrode.