Our latest research breaks new ground by scrutinizing the effects of cathodic currents on syntrophic consortia, specifically those involved in direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET). While previous theories posited that cathodic currents could enhance DIET interactions and methanogenesis at the cathode, our findings reveal a different story.
Contrary to expectations, we demonstrate that cathodic current does not promote methanogenesis by the consortia. Instead, it proves harmful, disrupting the interspecies interactions. This pivotal study challenges existing assumptions and opens new avenues for understanding the dynamics of microbial interactions on electrodes within bioelectrochemical systems for MEC-AD.
Dive into our findings and read our paper here.