Microbial electrosynthesis cell

Biofilms, Electroactive, Fig. 5 Principles of the most abundant microbial bloelectrochemlcal systems (a) microbial fuel cells and (b) microbial electrosynthesis cells on the example of the H2 production. (Note Here the anodic and cathodic reactions are catalyzed by blofilms, yet as described in the text also other catalysts can be exploited)... 

Figure 8.5 Example sketches of (a) a microbial fuel cells and (b) a microbial electrosynthesis cell to convert wastewater at the anode and produce biochemicals at the cathode.

Pandit A, Mahadevan R (2011) In silico characterization of microbial electrosynthesis for metabolic engineering of biochemicals. Microb Cell Fact 10(1) 76... 

Similarly to the assumption for diffusion-based EET, electrons cannot be sent back to the cells. (The microbial respiratory electron transport chain cannot work in reverse.) We believe that this assumption can be modified to model cathodic EABs that oxidize substrates extracellularly and may have applications in high-value chemical production (e.g., via electrosynthesis). 

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