MESSAI.iO

Methanogen acetoclastic · Methanogen methylotrophic · DIET partner acceptor

Methanosarcina acetivorans

Halobacteriota · Methanosarcinia · Methanosarcinaceae

ElectroactiveEET inwardBSL-1Partial record
  • Methanogen
  • Archaea
  • DIET acceptor
  • Mmca cytochrome
  • Tier 1
  • MES methane
Inward
Electron transfer
electroactive
35°C
Optimal temperature
grows 30–40 °C
7
Optimal pH
grows pH 6.5–7.5

01 · Identity

Identity

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

Lineage

  1. domainArchaea
  2. ›phylumHalobacteriota
  3. ›classMethanosarcinia
  4. ›orderMethanosarcinales
  5. ›familyMethanosarcinaceae
  6. ›genusMethanosarcina
  7. ›speciesMethanosarcina acetivorans

Culture collections & accessions

NCBI taxon
188937
Genome
GCF_000007345.1

Cell morphology

Sarcina packets · Archaeal s layer only

  • Motile: 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 inward
CELLELECTRODEOUTER-MEMBRANE CYTOCHROMESMmcAe⁻NANOWIRE · ARCHAELLA PUTATIVEe⁻DIET → G. metallireducense⁻
Electrons flow inward: electrode → cell (electrotroph)

Mechanisms

  • Outer-membrane cytochromes: yes

Direct transfer — detail

Notes
MmcA is the key electrical contact for DIET. Archaella may be conductive (high aromatic AA content).

Other

Cathode electron uptake mechanism
Direct EET demonstrated

03 · Growth envelope

Growth envelope

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

HalophileObligate anaerobeChemoorganoheterotroph
Temperature35 (30–40) °C
0100 °C
pH7 (6.5–7.5)
014
Salinity17 (0.2–35) g/L
050 g/L

Marine isolate, halotolerant.

Energy metabolism

Electron donors

  • Acetate
  • Methanol
  • CO
  • electrons via DIET

Electron acceptors

  • CO2

Carbon sources

  • Acetate
  • Methanol
  • Methylamines
  • CO

Metabolism — detail

ATP synthase type
Sodium dependent

04 · Performance

Performance

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

Products (1)

ProductMax titer (g/L)Max rateCoulombic efficiency
methane——
75 (60–90) %
0100 %

05 · Ecology & biofilm

Ecology & biofilm

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

Electron-exchange partners (1)

Ecosystems

  • Marine
  • Sediment marine

Isolation sources

  • marine sediment, San Francisco Bay

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 (1)

  • Microbial electrosynthesis methane
    TRL 3/9

Engineering

Synthetic biology chassisIndustrial relevance 3/5

Reactor compatibility

  • MES cathode
  • Ad MEC coupled

Genetics

  • Genetically tractable: yes

Key EET genes

  • mmcA
Available genetic tools
  • markerless deletion
  • puromycin selection

Biosafety

BSL-1
  • Pathogen: no

Modeling assets

Linked GEM: iVS941

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

PartialHigh confidenceCurated: manual

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

References (4)

  1. Rowe AR, et al. (2019). Methanosarcina acetivorans grows via DIET in coculture with Geobacter metallireducens. mBio 10:e00219-19.
  2. Rowe AR, et al. (2019). Methanosarcina acetivorans grows via DIET in coculture with Geobacter metallireducens. mBio 10:e00219-19.
  3. Holmes DE, et al. (2022). Mechanisms for electron uptake by Methanosarcina acetivorans during DIET.
  4. Holmes DE, et al. (2022). Mechanisms for electron uptake by Methanosarcina acetivorans during DIET.