Spatiotemporal mapping of bacterial membrane potential responses to extracellular electron transfer

Abstract

Past studies on extracellular electron transfer (EET) have mainly employed bulk techniques, overlooking the subpopulation variation in EET and the potentially complex spatial patterns of activity in microbial communities. Here, by performing simultaneous electrochemical and in vivo single-cell-level fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate the link between EET and the cell membrane potential, revealing the utility of membrane potential as a single-cell-level bioenergetic indicator of EET by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 cells. Our findings pave the way for understanding the factors underlying EET at a fundamental level, which could, in turn, lead to improvements in the design of bioelectrochemical systems that enhance their overall performance.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 03, 2020
Source ID
10.1073/pnas.2000802117

Entities

People

  • Marko S. Chavez
  • Mohamed Y El-Naggar
  • Sahand Pirbadian

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Office of Naval Research
  • University of Southern California

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Microbial Pathology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Microelectronics