Download 10.391

Microbial energy conversion and
practical application to
an algal fuel cell.
Peter Weigele
MIT Biology and Edgerton Center
Presentation for 10.391 Sustainable Energy
February 15, 2007
Department of
Biology
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/
Food and fuel subject to the same market forces?
A Culinary and Cultural Staple in Crisis:
Mexico Grapples With Soaring Prices for Corn -- and Tortillas
By Manuel Roig-Franzia
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, January 27, 2007; A01
“Mexico is in the grip of the worst tortilla crisis in its modern
history. Dramatically rising international corn prices,
spurred by demand for the grain-based fuel ethanol, have
led to expensive tortillas.”
9 x 109 by 2050
respiration!
Electrons go where they are most wanted...
Aerobic respiration: O2 as terminal electron acceptor
“Bacteria are beautiful” by Diane Newman
Anaerobic respiration with Iron(III) as extracellular terminal e- acceptor
soluble
electron
carriers
“Bacteria are beautiful” by Diane Newman
see also www.geobacter.org
Protein nanowires also found in gram negative aerobes,
cyanobacteria, and methanogens
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0604517103
Schematic of a microbial fuel cell
Sediment battery: a type of microbial fuel cell
Bacterial biomass from electricity
Summary, part I: The microbial fuel cell could be a
core technology for energy conversion
cellulose-derived carbohydrates
energy rich wastewater
organic sediments
sunlight
electricity
MFC
microbial metabolism
ex vivo protein complexes
anode/cathode composition
electron carriers
fuel cell construction
electricity
hydrogen
alcohols
methane
treated water
Part II: Photosynthesis
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
NADPH
stroma
light
1
H+
2
3
Q
cyt bf
complex
OEC
thylakoid lumen
ADP + Pi
ATP
light
FNR
F1F0
ATP-
Fd
synthase
Light
photoHarvesting
Complex system II
(LHCII)
(P680)
2 H2O
NADP+
Light
photoHarvesting
system I Complex
(P700)
(LHCI)
PC
4 H+ + O2
H+
4
H+
5
H+
1
2
3
4
5
Part III:
A simple, low-cost algal fuel cell
for research and education
Chlamydomonas rheinhardtii making colonies on solid medium
Photobioreactors: modular, scalable
Algal growth using an airlift bioreactor
Gas Dispersion
Tube Only
Airlift with Gas
Dispersion Tube
PVC insert to create air-lift for improved mixing
PVC tubing + caps + fittings + tubing + pump = gas recirculator
The finished recirculating pump
Gas managment and fuel cell
Luer fittings and stopcocks
fromCole-Parmer
petstore
40 bucks from fuelcellstore.com
Bioreactor setup
Fuel cell under load
Photobioreactor
H2
Fuel Cell
e-
Online Data Monitoring
Data collection using an A/D converter
Dataq model 154, ~$100, microvolt resolution
Experimental overview
algal growth on solid substrate
grow algae with bubbling air and S+ medium
inoculate large bioreactor containing S- medium
seal, start pump, and collect data
measure cell mass, and chlorophyll concentration
Do other kinds of green, microalgae make H2?
Chlamydomonas
rheinhardtii
Unknown: “WP2”
Unknown: “WP1”
Testing different algal strains (note clumping Chlamy)
Algal strain choice impacts H2 production:
As Indicated by Varying Voltage Output
data from 10.28 Team C, 2006
data from 10.28 Team C, 2006
10.28 Team C
Sohrab Virk
Asish Misra
Joia Ramachandani
Sophmore biology students from Nashoba Regional HS
Kay Leigh
Kay
Andrew Hoy
Mackey Craven
Many, many thanks!
Nina Kshetry
Sam Jewell
Tom Knight
Jon King
Chris Kaiser
Samantha Sutton
Jason Kelly
openwetware.org
J.F. Hamel and 10.28
Team C
Joia Ramachandani
Asish Misra
Sohrab Virk
David Form, NRHS
Ashley, Meaghan, Kay Leigh,
Jackie, and Kay
Edgerton Center
Steven Banzaert
Sandi Lipnonski
New blood!
John M. Craven
Andrew Hoy
6 CO2 + 6 H2O --> C6H12O6
Marine Synechococcus
Marine Synechococcus: a gram negative bacterium
performing oxygenic photosynthesis.
Hill-billy photobioreactor
Syn9
host: Synechococcus WH8109
contractile tail
177,300 bp
225 orfs
200 nm