MESSAI.iO

Electrogen · DIET partner donor · Iron reducer

Geobacter metallireducens GS-15

Thermodesulfobacteriota · Desulfuromonadia · Geobacteraceae

ElectroactiveEET outwardType strainBSL-1Comprehensive record
  • Aromatic degrader
  • Uranium bioremediation
  • Tier 1
  • DIET donor
Outward
Electron transfer
electroactive
30°C
Optimal temperature
grows 25–35 °C
7
Optimal pH
grows pH 6.5–7.5
4Mb
Genome size

01 · Identity

Identity

Where this organism sits in the tree of life, how to obtain it, and what a cell looks like.

Lineage

  1. domainBacteria
  2. ›phylumThermodesulfobacteriota
  3. ›classDesulfuromonadia
  4. ›orderGeobacterales
  5. ›familyGeobacteraceae
  6. ›genusGeobacter
  7. ›speciesGeobacter metallireducens GS-15

Formerly classified as Deltaproteobacteria.

Culture collections & accessions

DSMZ
DSM 7210
ATCC
ATCC 53774
NCBI taxon
269799
Genome
GCF_000012585.1
Status
Type strain

Isolation

From Potomac River sediment, Maryland, USA by Lovley DR, Phillips EJP (1987).

Lovley DR, Phillips EJP (1988). Manganese inhibition of microbial iron reduction in anaerobic sediments.

Genome

4Mb
Genome size
59.5%
GC content
Complete
Assembly level

Cell morphology

Rod, Gram-negative (diderm)

  • Motile: yes
  • Pili: yes
  • Outer-membrane vesicles: no
  • Spore-forming: no

02 · Electron transfer

Electron transfer

How electrons cross the cell envelope — the property that makes a microbe useful in an electrochemical system.

ElectroactiveEET outward
CELLELECTRODEOUTER-MEMBRANE CYTOCHROMESPpcAOmcBe⁻NANOWIRE · PILA PILINe⁻DIET → M. acetivoranse⁻
Electrons flow outward: cell → electrode (exoelectrogen)

Mechanisms

  • Outer-membrane cytochromes: yes
  • Conductive pili / nanowires: yes

03 · Growth envelope

Growth envelope

The conditions this organism tolerates and what it eats and breathes — the operating window for a reactor.

MesophileObligate anaerobeChemoorganoheterotroph
Temperature30 (25–35) °C
0100 °C
pH7 (6.5–7.5)
014

Energy metabolism

Electron donors

  • Acetate
  • Ethanol
  • aromatic compounds

Electron acceptors

  • Fe(III)
  • Mn(IV)
  • U(VI)
  • Anode
  • Nitrate

Carbon sources

  • Acetate
  • Ethanol
  • Benzoate
  • Toluene
  • Phenol
  • p-cresol
  • Butyrate
  • Propionate
  • Respiratory: yes
  • Fermentative: no

Metabolism — detail

ATP synthase type
Proton dependent
Energy conservation mechanism
Oxidative phosphorylation

04 · Performance

Performance

Reported electrochemical output, the role it plays in a reactor, and what it produces.

Strong electrogen

Role in a reactor

Anode chamberAnode: primary current producer

05 · Ecology & biofilm

Ecology & biofilm

How it lives on an electrode, who it partners with, and where it is found in nature.

Biofilm

  • Forms biofilm: yes

Preferred electrode materials

  • Graphite
  • carbon cloth

Electron-exchange partners (2)

Conductive-mineral mediation

  • Mediates via conductive minerals: yes
  • Magnetite

Magnetite-stimulated DIET with Methanothrix harundinacea (Liu 2015).

Ecosystems

  • Freshwater
  • Subsurface
  • Rice paddy

Isolation sources

  • freshwater sediment, Potomac River, USA

06 · Applications, engineering & safety

Applications, engineering & safety

Where it has been put to work, how tractable it is to engineer, and what handling it requires.

Applications (3)

  • Bioremediation organics
    TRL 5/9
  • Bioremediation metals
    TRL 5/9
  • Bioelectricity generation
    TRL 4/9

Engineering

Engineered strains publishedIndustrial relevance 4/5

Reactor compatibility

  • MFC dual chamber
  • Smfc soil
  • Sediment MFC

Genetics

  • Genetically tractable: yes

qPCR targets

  • pilA
  • ppcA

Biosafety

BSL-1
  • Pathogen: no

Modeling assets

Linked GEM: iAF987.metallireducens

07 · Sources & data quality

Sources & data quality

Every value above traces to a citation. This is how complete and how confident the record is.

Record quality

ComprehensiveHigh confidenceNeeds reviewCurated: manual

Literature reviewed 2026-04-26 · schema v1.2.0 · updated 2026-04-28 · imported 2026-04-28

Open data gaps (2)

  • electrochemical_performance.max_current_density (audit: REQUIRED-missing for electrogen class)
  • electrochemical_performance.max_power_density (audit: REQUIRED-missing for electrogen class)

References (4)

  1. Lovley DR, et al. (1993). Geobacter metallireducens gen. nov. sp. nov. Arch Microbiol 159:336-344.
  2. Lovley DR, et al. (1993). Geobacter metallireducens gen. nov. sp. nov. Arch Microbiol 159:336-344.
  3. Holmes DE, et al. (2017). Metatranscriptomic evidence for DIET between Geobacter and Methanothrix in rice paddy soils. Appl Environ Microbiol 83:e00223-17.doi:10.1128/AEM.00223-17
  4. Holmes DE, et al. (2017). Metatranscriptomic evidence for DIET between Geobacter and Methanothrix in rice paddy soils. Appl Environ Microbiol 83:e00223-17.doi:10.1128/AEM.00223-17

Version history

  1. 2026-04-27 · v1.2.0 · messai_curation
    • Added genome_metadata, isolation provenance, type-strain confirmation.
    • Added DIET conductive_mineral_mediation evidence (magnetite, Liu 2015).
    • Did NOT promote partial → comprehensive: audit flags required electrochemical_performance fields as missing. Promotion deferred until citation-supported values are added.