User:Ebtapper/Electric bacteria

Lead
Electric bacteria are forms of bacteria that directly consume and excrete electrons at different energy potentials without requiring the metabolization of any sugars or other nutrients. Shewanella and Geobacter are two known types of electric bacteria. This form of life appears to be especially adapted to low-oxygen environments. Most life forms require an oxygen environment in which to release the excess of electrons which are produced in metabolizing sugars. In a low oxygen environment, this pathway for releasing electrons is not available. Instead, electric bacteria respire electron acceptors instead of oxygen, which effectively results in both an intake of and excretion of electrical charges.

Article body
"A wide range of microbes have been discovered to be able to exchange electrons with solid surfaces." (Direct quote from Frauke, how to expand on this idea?)

Metabolism
Shewanella is a genus of electric bacteria that are classified as heterotrophic facultative anaerobes. This means that in the presence of oxygen, the bacteria can choose to respire aerobically and switch to anaerobic respiration in the absence of oxygen. Some of these electron acceptors are thiosulfate, sulfite, and elemental sulfur. A special capability of some of these bacteria is their ability to reduce metals for use in respiration. Shewanella have the ability to respire through species of metal, including manganese, chromium, uranium, and iron which can involve extracellular electron transfer.

Geobacter metabolic pathway (what electron acceptors does this microbe respire?)

Applications
How can we take advantage of electric bacteria? (Gao source)

Bioremediation (expand on this idea!!!)