MESSAI.iO

Electrogen · Photoheterotroph · N₂ fixer

Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1

Pseudomonadota · Alphaproteobacteria · Nitrobacteraceae

ElectroactiveEET outwardBSL-1Partial record
  • Phototroph
  • Metabolically versatile
  • High power
  • Tier 2
  • N₂ fixer
Outward
Electron transfer
electroactive
30°C
Optimal temperature
grows 25–40 °C
7
Optimal pH
grows pH 6.5–8

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. ›phylumPseudomonadota
  3. ›classAlphaproteobacteria
  4. ›orderHyphomicrobiales
  5. ›familyNitrobacteraceae
  6. ›genusRhodopseudomonas
  7. ›speciesRhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1

Culture collections & accessions

NCBI taxon
1076

Cell morphology

Rod, Gram-negative (diderm)

  • Motile: yes
  • 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 CYTOCHROMESc-type cyto…e⁻
Electrons flow outward: cell → electrode (exoelectrogen)

Mechanisms

  • Outer-membrane cytochromes: yes

03 · Growth envelope

Growth envelope

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

MesophileFacultative anaerobeMixotroph
Temperature30 (25–40) °C
0100 °C
pH7 (6.5–8)
014

Energy metabolism

Electron donors

  • organic acids
  • H2
  • Thiosulfate

Electron acceptors

  • O2
  • Anode

Carbon sources

  • Acetate
  • Ethanol
  • Propionate
  • Butyrate
  • Succinate
  • Lactate
  • Glycerol
  • yeast extract

Metabolism — detail

N₂ fixation
Yes

04 · Performance

Performance

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

Strong electrogen
2000mW/m2
Max power density
range 1300–2720 · per projected anode area

Role in a reactor

Anode: 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

  • carbon cloth

Ecosystems

  • Wastewater
  • Freshwater

Isolation sources

  • MFC enrichment from wastewater

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)

  • Bioelectricity generation
    TRL 4/9
  • Wastewater treatment
    TRL 4/9
  • Hydrogen production MEC
    TRL 3/9

Engineering

Engineered strains publishedIndustrial relevance 3/5

Reactor compatibility

  • MFC single chamber
  • MEC
  • Photo MFC

Biosafety

BSL-1
  • Pathogen: no

Modeling assets

Linked GEM: iRP

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

PartialMedium confidenceNeeds reviewCurated: manual

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

References (2)

  1. Xing D, et al. (2008). Electricity generation by Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1. Environ Sci Technol 42:4146-4151.doi:10.1021/es800312v
  2. Xing D, et al. (2008). Electricity generation by Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1. Environ Sci Technol 42:4146-4151.doi:10.1021/es800312v