Month: March 2019

Mon’s first 1st author paper just got accepted in a special Frontiers topic: “Biological Methanation or (Bio/Syn)-Gas Upgrading” by Frontiers in Energy Research. We are really to see this paper soon in print. The paper is the first test of electroactivity in Methanosarcina species. Yee, M. O., Snoeyenbos-West, O. L., Thamdrup, B., Ottosen, L. D., & Rotaru, A. E. (2019). Extracellular electron uptake by two Methanosarcina species. Frontiers in Energy Research. doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2019.00029 Moreover, the work is part of a collaborative grant with AU-Engineering, A/Prof. Lars Ottosen. The final goal is to apply the electric properties of microorganisms (e.g. Methanosarcina) in real life…Continue readingMon’s 1st paper got accepted

Paola’s second preprint is about an urban lake methanogenic community corroding iron. Jaramillo, P. A. P., & Rotaru, A. E. (2019). Lifeless Clostridia stimulate methanogenesis on Fe0 in an urban lake corrosive community. bioRxiv, 556704 We observed that dead Clostridium stimulate the growth of methanogens, however not as previously assumed via acetate-transfer. CO2-reductive methanogens were stimulated by the Clostridium  [FeFe]-hydrogenases (abundant in their genomes) released after the collapse of the acetogens. Clostridia genome-screening indicated they are the N2-fixers (a process that is very energy intensive), thus their collapse releases readily fixed N2 for the methanogens to use, reducing the energy expenses for the later.

Jo, now an Assistant Prof. at Aarhus University visited us on the 10th of January. Jo presented her recent work on corrosion by acetogenic bacteria. It was great to see Jo again and discuss possible future collaborations.