Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens
Anaerobic digestion is a key technology for converting organic waste into methane, offering significant potential for renewable energy production and waste management. While the addition of conductive materials has been shown to improve direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), their application...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1604265/full |
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| author | Lu Liu Pengsong Li He Dong Chuanqi Liu Haoyong Li Zihao Ma Ruoyu Li Ruoyu Li Yan Dang |
| author_facet | Lu Liu Pengsong Li He Dong Chuanqi Liu Haoyong Li Zihao Ma Ruoyu Li Ruoyu Li Yan Dang |
| author_sort | Lu Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anaerobic digestion is a key technology for converting organic waste into methane, offering significant potential for renewable energy production and waste management. While the addition of conductive materials has been shown to improve direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), their application faces challenges like biofouling, environmental risks, and increased operational costs. This study investigated the effects of co-culturing dual Methanosarcina (Methanosarcina barkeri and Methanosarcina acetivorans) and Geobacter metallireducens (DM-G) to enhance DIET and methane production without the addition of exogenous conductive materials. The performance of the DM-G co-culture system was comparable to that of the conductive material-amended single Methanosarcina and G. metallireducens (SM-G) co-culture systems, achieving a maximum methane concentration of 19.5 mM, following the consumption of 15.2 mM ethanol in the 1:1:1 biomass ratio system. This corresponds to a 3.8-fold increase over the SM-G co-culture system with M. barkeri and G. metallireducens, and a 3.0-fold increase over that with M. acetivorans and G. metallireducens. Transcriptomic analysis showed that in the DM-G co-culture system, M. barkeri up-regulated key genes related to methane metabolism and acetate utilization, while the core methanogenic pathway of M. acetivorans was down-regulated, but it could still effectively utilize the electron transfer pathway, indicating metabolic complementarity. These findings propose a novel strategy for enhancing DIET-driven methanogenesis through synergistic microbial consortia, advancing scalable, low-cost bioenergy solutions for organic waste valorization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ed2bb4ca220240bca414012bb4b7dcff |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-ed2bb4ca220240bca414012bb4b7dcff2025-08-20T04:01:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-08-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.16042651604265Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducensLu Liu0Pengsong Li1He Dong2Chuanqi Liu3Haoyong Li4Zihao Ma5Ruoyu Li6Ruoyu Li7Yan Dang8Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Hepingjie No.1 Middle School, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaLaboratory and Facility Management Office, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control and Eco-Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaAnaerobic digestion is a key technology for converting organic waste into methane, offering significant potential for renewable energy production and waste management. While the addition of conductive materials has been shown to improve direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), their application faces challenges like biofouling, environmental risks, and increased operational costs. This study investigated the effects of co-culturing dual Methanosarcina (Methanosarcina barkeri and Methanosarcina acetivorans) and Geobacter metallireducens (DM-G) to enhance DIET and methane production without the addition of exogenous conductive materials. The performance of the DM-G co-culture system was comparable to that of the conductive material-amended single Methanosarcina and G. metallireducens (SM-G) co-culture systems, achieving a maximum methane concentration of 19.5 mM, following the consumption of 15.2 mM ethanol in the 1:1:1 biomass ratio system. This corresponds to a 3.8-fold increase over the SM-G co-culture system with M. barkeri and G. metallireducens, and a 3.0-fold increase over that with M. acetivorans and G. metallireducens. Transcriptomic analysis showed that in the DM-G co-culture system, M. barkeri up-regulated key genes related to methane metabolism and acetate utilization, while the core methanogenic pathway of M. acetivorans was down-regulated, but it could still effectively utilize the electron transfer pathway, indicating metabolic complementarity. These findings propose a novel strategy for enhancing DIET-driven methanogenesis through synergistic microbial consortia, advancing scalable, low-cost bioenergy solutions for organic waste valorization.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1604265/fulldirect interspecies electron transferMethanosarcinaG. metallireducensconductive materialsanaerobic digestionmicrobial synergy |
| spellingShingle | Lu Liu Pengsong Li He Dong Chuanqi Liu Haoyong Li Zihao Ma Ruoyu Li Ruoyu Li Yan Dang Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens Frontiers in Microbiology direct interspecies electron transfer Methanosarcina G. metallireducens conductive materials anaerobic digestion microbial synergy |
| title | Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens |
| title_full | Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens |
| title_fullStr | Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens |
| title_short | Enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co-culture of dual Methanosarcina species and Geobacter metallireducens |
| title_sort | enhancement of direct interspecies electron transfer and methane production by co culture of dual methanosarcina species and geobacter metallireducens |
| topic | direct interspecies electron transfer Methanosarcina G. metallireducens conductive materials anaerobic digestion microbial synergy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1604265/full |
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