Meiling Lian, Y. Shi, Liuxing Chen et al.

ACS Sensors • 2022

The inactive adsorption and interference of biomolecules in electrochemical biosensors is a topic of intense interest. Directly utilizing native cell membranes to endow electrochemical surfaces with antifouling and biocompatible features is a promising strategy, rather than attempting to synthetically replicate complex biological interface properties. In this study, we present a facial and sensitive sandwich-type antifouling immunoassay through platelet membrane/Au nanoparticle/delaminated V2C nanosheet (PM/AuNPs/d-V2C)-modified electrode as the substrate of sensing interface and methylene blue/aminated metal organic framework (MB@NH2-Fe-MOF-Zn) as an electrochemical signal probe. The biosensor perfectly integrates the high conductivity of AuNPs-loaded V2C MXene with the excellent loading property of NH2-Fe-MOF-Zn to improve the electrochemical sensing performance. In addition, the excellent antifouling properties of the homogeneous cell membrane can effectively prevent the non-specific adsorption of model proteins. The obtained antifouling biosensor possesses the capability of ultrasensitive detection of CD44 and CD44-positive cancer cell in complex liquids and exhibits good analytical performance for the analysis of CD44 with a linear range from 0.5 ng/mL to 500 ng/mL. This strategy of developing cell membrane-based biosensing systems with enhanced antifouling capability can be easily expanded to the construction of other complex biosensors, and the advanced biological probes and analytical methods provide a favorable means to accurately quantify biomarkers associated with tumor progression.

Enas M. Abou-Taleb, M. Hellal, Kholod H. Kamal

Water and Environment Journal • 2020

This work investigated the removal of phenol from petroleum wastewater by the electro‐oxidation process. The experimental design was developed on a pilot‐scale electro‐oxidation system equipped with a cylindrical shape of graphite electrodes as an anode and stainless‐steel electrodes as a cathode. An initial study was performed based on operating variables such as current density and time on real petroleum wastewater. The optimum conditions were obtained as a current density of 3 mA/cm2 and time 15 min. Under these applied optimum conditions, complete phenol removal from an initial concentration of about 6.8 mg/L was achieved. Also, 50–60% removal of organic matter in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD). The removal of organic matter using electro‐oxidation requires a long reaction time. Also, the economic study indicated that the energy consumption was determined to be 0.79 kWh/m3 and the operating cost was 0.051 $/m3 which is very economical compared with conventional methods.

Jing Li, Cailing Zhu, Wenjing Peng et al.

Analytical Chemistry • 2023

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as the third gas transporter in biological systems, plays a key role in the regulation of biological cells. Real-time detection of local H2S concentration in vivo is an important and challenging task. Herein, we explored a novel and facile strategy to develop a flexible and transparent H2S sensor based on gold nanowire (AuNW) and carbon nanotube (CNT) films embedded in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) (AuNWs/CNTs/PDMS). Taking the advantage of the sandwich-like nanostructured network of AuNWs/CNTs, the prepared electrochemical sensing platform exhibited desirable electrocatalytic activity toward H2S oxidation with a wide linear range (5 nM to 24.9 μM) and a low dete ction limit (3 nM). Furthermore, thanks to the good biocompatibility and flexibility of the sensor, HeLa cells can be cultured directly on the electrode, allowing real-time monitoring of H2S released from cells under a stretched state. This work provides a versatile strategy for the construction of stretchable electrochemical sensors, which has potential applications in the study of H2S-related signal mechanotransduction and pathological processes.

Nianzu Liu, Jingyao Song, Yanwei Lu et al.

Analytical Chemistry • 2019

The rapid, convenient, and selective assaying of clinical targets directly in complex biological media brings with it the potential to revolutionize diagnostics. One major hurdle to impact is retention of selectivity and a tight control of nonspecific surface interactions or biofouling. We report herein, the construction of an antifouling interface through the covalent attachment of designed branched zwitterionic peptides onto electrodeposited polyaniline film. The antifouling capability of the designed branched peptide significantly outperforms that of the commonly used PEG and linear peptides. The interfaces modified with branched peptides are exceptionally effective in reducing a nonspecific protein and cell adsorption, as verified by electrochemical and fluorescent characterization. The derived sensors with mucin1 protein (MUC1) aptamer as the recognition element detect MUC1-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells in human serum with high sensitivity and selectivity. The linear response range of the cytosensor for the MCF-7 cell is from 50 to 106 cells/mL, with a limit of detection as low as 20 cells/mL. More importantly, the assaying performances remain unchanged in human serum owing to the presence of branched antifouling peptide, indicating feasibility of the cytosensor for practical cancer cell quantification in complex samples.

Aydin Bordbar-Khiabani, M. Gasik

Scientific Reports • 2023

The performance of current biomedical titanium alloys is limited by inflammatory and severe inflammatory conditions after implantation. In this study, a novel Ti–Nb–Zr–Si (TNZS) alloy was developed and compared with commercially pure titanium, and Ti–6Al–4V alloy. Electrochemical parameters of specimens were monitored during 1 h and 12 h immersion in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as a normal, PBS/hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) as an inflammatory, and PBS/H_2O_2/albumin/lactate as a severe inflammatory media. The results showed an effect of the H_2O_2 in inflammatory condition and the synergistic behavior of H_2O_2, albumin, and lactate in severe inflammatory condition towards decreasing the corrosion resistance of titanium biomaterials. Electrochemical tests revealed a superior corrosion resistance of the TNZS in all conditions due to the presence of silicide phases. The developed TNZS was tested for subsequent cell culture investigation to understand its biocompatibility nature. It exhibited favorable cell-materials interactions in vitro compared with Ti–6Al–4V. The results suggest that TNZS alloy might be a competitive biomaterial for orthopedic applications.

D. Özsoylu, T. Wagner, M. Schöning

Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry • 2022

Electrochemical cell-based biosensors have been showing increasing interest within the last 15 years, with a large number of reports generally dealing with the sensors' sensitivity, selectivity, stability, signal-to-noise ratio, spatiotemporal resolution, etc. However, only a few of them are now available as commercial products on the market. In this review, technological advances, current challenges and opportunities of electrochemical cell-based biosensors are presented. The article encompasses emerging studies, mainly focusing on the last five years (from 2016 to mid 2021), towards cell-based biological field-effect devices, cell-based impedimetric sensors and cell-based microelectrode arrays. In addition, special attention lies on recent progress in recording at the single-cellular level, including intracellular monitoring with high spatiotemporal resolution as well as integration into microfluidics for lab-on-a-chip applications. Moreover, a comprehensive discussion on challenges and future perspectives will address the future potential of electrochemical cell-based biosensors.

Andrei Kulikovsky

Electrochemical Science Advances • 2024

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>A model for performance of an axially symmetric pore with the curved generatrix is developed. Oxygen transport along the pore axis and in the radial direction through a thin ionomer film separating the pore volume from the Pt/C surface is taken into account. A performance functional is formulated, and the Euler–Lagrange equation is solved numerically for an optimal pore shape. This shape is close to a cubic paraboloid converging toward the membrane. Polarization curves show superior performance of the optimal pore over the cylindrical pore of the same active (side) surface area. The results suggest the shape of optimal ionomer loading for low‐Pt electrodes.</jats:p>

Christina Martens, Maximilian Quentmeier, Bernhard Schmid et al.

Electrochemical Science Advances • 0

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p>Consecutive development of materials, components, and ultimately, devices does not appear to be a promising strategy in CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> electroreduction because maintaining comparability and transferring results between idealized and application‐oriented systems proves challenging. A modular cell design and tracking cell conditions <jats:italic>via</jats:italic> sensors may be a solution. We displayed a strategy to characterize gas diffusion electrode operating regimes in a flow cell with regard to different current density ranges, as well as the impact of the flow gap design. We revealed strong interdependencies between cell components, their functions as well as individual cells when integrated into a stack. Expanding the scope and resolution of experimental data made new information on the change of system parameters in flow cells accessible.</jats:p>

Maurice Friedman, Charles E. McCauley

Transactions of The Electrochemical Society • 1947

<jats:p>The Ruben cell, a new alkaline dry cell, is discussed. This cell comprises the electrochemical system <jats:inline-formula> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" id="ML1" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Zn</mml:mi> <mml:mo>|</mml:mo> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Zn</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mo>OH</mml:mo> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">solid</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> </jats:inline-formula> <jats:inline-formula> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" id="ML2" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo>KOH</mml:mo> </mml:math> </jats:inline-formula> aq. <jats:inline-formula> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" id="ML3" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">HgO</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">solid</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>|</mml:mo> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Hg</mml:mi> </mml:math> </jats:inline-formula> and has a rated capacity of 200 milliampere‐hours for each 1.6 gram unit of active material. The open‐circuit voltage of the cell is nominally 1.34 volts and the initial closed‐circuit voltage under normal loads varies from 1.24 to 1.31 v., depending on the load applied. The discharge curves obtained with the Ruben cell on normal drains are substantially flat, thus insuring reasonably uniform voltage output. The utilization of active materials is approximately 80% to 90% and is extremely efficient compared with other types of commercial dry cells. The service obtainable from the Ruben cell under high current drains is approximately 4 to 7 times that of conventional dry cells of equivalent volume when discharged to the usual cutoff potentials of 0.75 to 1.0 volt. Two basic designs are described, one making use of a “roll anode” and the other of a “pressed powder anode” construction. The roll anode cell structure was the first design to go into large scale production, the entire output having been allocated to the Armed Forces during the last war. The pressed powder anode cell, which incorporates such improvements as additional volume reductions for given watt‐hour capacities, may supplant the roll anode cell for commercial applications. These new designs, although still failing to bring the cost of the Ruben cell down to that of conventional dry cells, will offer a distinct advantage when considered from a cost/service ratio. The development of improved production methods will make it commercially competitive, particularly for applications where its small space requirements, long service performance and flat voltage discharge characteristics are important factors.</jats:p>

Eleonora Alfinito, Francesco Milano, Matteo Beccaria et al.

Chemosensors • 0

<jats:p>The impedance response of an electrochemical cell able to convert sunlight into electrical power is analyzed and discussed. Light conversion is due to a photosynthetic system known as reaction center, which is the core of photosynthesis in several living beings. Under illumination, an abrupt transformation drives the cell electrical response from insulator to conductor and a photocurrent is observed. The impedance spectrum shows a peculiar shape which significantly modifies after the protein activation. It has been analyzed by means of a graphical/analytical/numerical procedure. Some impedance graphical representations are indicated as the most appropriate to suggest the design of an equivalent electrical circuit. Then, the analytical expression of this circuit is formulated and used to set-up a custom Phyton code useful for fitting experimental data. Finally, an appropriate normalization procedure is proposed, which validates data in dark and light and can be useful as a fast screening of measurements.</jats:p>

Eleonora Alfinito, Francesco Milano, Matteo Beccaria et al.

• 0

<jats:p>Bio-devices are designed to allow biological matter to perform in vitro almost the same functions it performs in vivo. Therefore, they can benefit from the specificities of such materials and are expected to perform better than traditional devices. On the other hand, the integration of biological material with electronic/electrochemical instrumentation requires careful attention and can produce unconventional results. In this paper, we describe the impedance response of an electrochemical cell that converts sunlight into electrical power. It uses the photosynthetic system known as Reaction Center, which is the core of photosynthesis in several living beings. Under illumination, an abrupt transformation drives the cell electrical response from insulator to conductor and a photocurrent is observed. The impedance spectrum shows a peculiar shape which significantly modifies with the protein activation. It has been analyzed by means of a graphical/analytical/ numerical procedure. The modelling identifies an analogue electrical circuit, whose parameters give quantitative information about the underlying process. Finally, an appropriate normalization of data is proposed which validates data in dark and light and can be useful as a fast screening of measurements.</jats:p>

Cameron L. Bentley

Electrochemical Science Advances • 2022

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) is a scanning‐droplet‐based technique that allows electrochemical fluxes and/or interfacial reactivity to be measured and visualized with high spatiotemporal resolution. This minireview spotlights the use of SECCM for studying the electrochemistry of (nano)particles, highlighting recent works spanning multiple timescales (i.e., microseconds to seconds) and lengthscales (i.e., nanometers to micrometers) to probe physicochemical phenomena at the sub‐particle, single particle, and/or (micro)ensemble levels. In SECCM, single (nano)particles (or small particle ensembles) are electrochemically interrogated—directly from colloidal solution (i.e., by investigating electrochemical nanoimpacts with a substrate electrode) or supported on an electrochemically inert support electrode—with a pipette probe that is operated in either a stationary (point measurement) or dynamic scanning/imaging mode. Nanoscale‐resolved electrochemical information (e.g., local rates of electron‐ or ion‐transfer, catalytic activity, corrosion resistance, etc.) from SECCM is readily related to (nano)particle structure and properties, collected at a commensurate scale with complementary, co‐located microscopy/spectroscopy techniques, allowing structure and function to be resolved <jats:italic>directly</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>unambiguously</jats:italic> down to the sub‐particle level. Understanding structure−function on this scale enables macroscopic “particle‐on‐support” electrode behavior to be rationalized and further predicted, guiding the discovery, design, and engineering of novel electromaterials with enhanced function, which is a “holy grail” in materials science.</jats:p>

Haiheng Xu, Yiqiao Hu, Jinhui Wu

Microbial Cell • 0

<jats:p>Cancer immunotherapy, which use the own immune system to attack tumors, are increasingly popular treatments. But, due to the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, the antigen presentation in the tumor is limited. Recently, a growing number of people use bacteria to stimulate the body’s immunity for tumor treatment due to bacteria themselves have a variety of elements that activate Toll-like receptors. Here, we discuss the use of motility of flagellate bacteria to transport antigens to the tumor periphery to activate peritumoral dendritic cells to enhance the effect of in situ tumor vaccines.</jats:p>

Christoph Mayer

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences • 0

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:label/><jats:p>Cell wall recycling is a process whereby bacteria degrade their own wall during growth, recover released constituents by active transport and reutilise them either to rebuild the wall or to gain energy. Most knowledge about cell wall recycling comes from studies with the Gram‐negative bacterium<jats:named-content content-type="genus-species"><jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic></jats:named-content>. Within one generation, this organism breaks down and efficiently recycles approximately 60% of the mature peptidoglycan of its side‐wall during cell elongation and approximately 30% of newly deposited septal peptidoglycan during cell division. The reason for the massive turnover of the peptidoglycan is still unclear, although many other bacteria, including Gram‐positives, have been reported to turnover their cell wall and release similar quantities of peptidoglycan fragments during growth and differentiation. Whether these fragments are also recycled is basically unknown. The presence of recycling genes on most bacterial genomes, however, suggests that cell wall recycling is a very common pathway of bacteria.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Key Concepts:</jats:title><jats:p><jats:list list-type="bullet"><jats:list-item><jats:p>The peptidoglycan of the bacterial cell wall represents a single, giant, reticular macromolecule (i.e. the murein sacculus) that encases the entire bacterial cell.</jats:p></jats:list-item><jats:list-item><jats:p>The peptidoglycan cell wall has to be cleaved continuously during growth to allow cell expansion by insertion of new wall material.</jats:p></jats:list-item><jats:list-item><jats:p>Bacteria possess a huge and partially redundant set of cell wall lytic enzymes that potentially target every covalent bond connecting the amino acid and amino sugar building blocks within the peptidoglycan network (cell wall lytic complement).</jats:p></jats:list-item><jats:list-item><jats:p>Many bacteria release a great amount of cell wall material during bacterial growth (cell elongation and division). The reason for the massive turnover of approximately 50% of the existing peptidoglycan in one generation is still unclear.</jats:p></jats:list-item><jats:list-item><jats:p>Bacteria eventually recover cell wall turnover fragments. The pathways for the continuous recycling of peptidoglycan have been explored in great detail in<jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic>.</jats:p></jats:list-item><jats:list-item><jats:p>Cell wall recycling in Gram‐positive bacteria has been appreciated just recently and apparently differs from the<jats:named-content content-type="genus-species"><jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic></jats:named-content>paradigm as well as between Gram‐positive species.</jats:p></jats:list-item><jats:list-item><jats:p>Cell wall‐derived peptidoglycan fragments function as potent biological effectors. They are involved in sensing the cell wall and growth state, inducing expression of antibiotic resistance genes, and triggering cell differentiation and resuscitation of dormant cells.</jats:p></jats:list-item></jats:list></jats:p></jats:sec>

Andrei Kulikovsky

Electrochemical Science Advances • 2024

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>A model for the transient electrochemical performance of a conical pore in the cathode catalyst layer of a low–Pt PEM fuel cell is developed. The pore is separated from the Pt surface by a thin ionomer film. A transient equation for the oxygen diffusion along the pore coupled to the proton conservation equation in the ionomer film is derived. Numerical solution of the static equations shows superior electrochemical performance of a conical pore as compared to cylindrical pore with equivalent electrochemically active surface area. Equations for the pore impedance are derived by linearization and Fourier–transform of transient equations. The conical pore impedance is calculated and compared to the impedance of equivalent cylindrical pore. It is shown that the pore shape affects the frequency dependence of impedance.</jats:p>

Peter L. Graumann

Cell Motility • 2009

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Bacterial cytoskeletal elements are involved in an astonishing spectrum of cellular functions, from cell shape determination to cell division, plasmid segregation, the positioning of membrane‐associated proteins and membrane structures, and other aspects of bacterial physiology. Interestingly, these functions are not necessarily conserved, neither between different bacterial species nor between bacteria and eukaryotic cells. The flexibility of cytoskeletal elements in performing different tasks is amazing and emphasises their very early development during evolution. This review focuses on the dynamics of cytoskeletal elements from bacteria. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.</jats:p>

Terry J Beveridge

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences • 0

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Bacterial walls are constructed from a variety of macromolecules and polymers to provide an outer skin around the protoplast, encompassing the cell. In Gram‐positive bacteria, the cell wall consists of peptidoglycan and associated secondary polymers, whereas in Gram‐negative bacteria it consists of an outer membrane and an underlying thin peptidoglycan layer.</jats:p>

Shahid Khan

Cell Motility • 1988

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Bacterial flagella have rotary motors at their base; embedded in the cytoplasmic membrane and powered by transmembrane ion gradients instead of ATP. Assays have been developed to measure the torque output of individual motors over a wide regime of load, to correlate the energizing proton flux with rotation speed and relate through genetic analysis motor structure to function. These assays promise substantial advances in understanding mechanochemical coupling in these motors. Here, I summarize the present status of our understanding of energy transduction in bacterial flagella and compare this with the case for muscle.</jats:p>

Nikola Ojkic, Diana Serbanescu, Shiladitya Banerjee

• 0

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Bacteria have evolved to develop multiple strategies for antibiotic resistance by effectively reducing intra-cellular antibiotic concentrations or antibiotic binding affinities, but the role of cell morphology on antibiotic resistance remains poorly characterized. By analyzing cell morphological data of different bacterial species under antibiotic stress, we find that bacterial cells robustly reduce surface-to-volume ratio in response to most types of antibiotics. Using quantitative modelling we show that by reducing surface-to-volume ratio, bacteria can effectively reduce intracellular antibiotic concentration by decreasing antibiotic influx. The model predicts that bacteria can increase surface-to-volume ratio to promote antibiotic dilution if efflux pump activity is reduced, in agreement with data on membrane-transport inhibitors. Using the particular example of ribosome-targeting antibiotics, we present a systems-level model for the regulation of cell shape under antibiotic stress, and discuss feedback mechanisms that bacteria can harness to increase their fitness in the presence of antibiotics.</jats:p>

Scott Campbell, Andrew Duggleby, Angela Johnson

CORROSION 2011 • 2011

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Mitigation of microbiological related problems, specifically, microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is often mitigated utilizing biocides or biostatic chemicals. The use of the chemicals is often employed to control viable bacterial numbers, which would ultimately mitigate microbiological activity. However, after applying biocides for over 50 years within the petroleum industry, MIC is present and has been implicated in several critical failures. Although these failures still occur, no work has been done to establish and understand if current treatment regimes are ultimately mitigating MIC by controlling bacteria populations, specifically SRB’s within a biofilm. This paper reports the efficacy of biocides applied in a dynamic flow cell system evaluating current conventional treatment regimes decreasing viable bacterial numbers within a biofilm, and thus decreasing SRB activity. The data suggests that biocides may not be killing bacteria within a biofilm, and after further review of doubling times of SRB’s within the bacterial biofilm, suggests that bacterial cell injury may be a possible explanation rather than bacterial cell kill. Therefore, controlling MIC by applying biocides to simply kill bacteria may not be effective.</jats:p>

Norvell Nelson

Platinum Metals Review • 2002

<jats:p>The destruction of hazardous organic waste produced as waste products in chemical processes has become an industry in itself, regulated by environmental agencies and government bodies. The environmentally harmful waste has been incinerated at high temperature with the aim of forming less harmful and less complex compounds, but this may lead to dioxin formation in the presence of chlorine-containing waste. It may also be treated electrochemically to result in carbon dioxide and water. One on-site electrochemical method, described here, which uses platinum-plated titanium electrodes, can treat most organic waste materials very effectively at low temperatures.</jats:p>

Emma B. Setterington, Evangelyn C. Alocilja

Biosensors • 0

<jats:p>Biological defense and security applications demand rapid, sensitive detection of bacterial pathogens. This work presents a novel qualitative electrochemical detection technique which is applied to two representative bacterial pathogens, Bacillus cereus (as a surrogate for B. anthracis) and Escherichia coli O157:H7, resulting in detection limits of 40 CFU/mL and 6 CFU/mL, respectively, from pure culture. Cyclic voltammetry is combined with immunomagnetic separation in a rapid method requiring approximately 1 h for presumptive positive/negative results. An immunofunctionalized magnetic/polyaniline core/shell nano-particle (c/sNP) is employed to extract target cells from the sample solution and magnetically position them on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) sensor. The presence of target cells significantly inhibits current flow between the electrically active c/sNPs and SPCE. This method has the potential to be adapted for a wide variety of target organisms and sample matrices, and to become a fully portable system for routine monitoring or emergency detection of bacterial pathogens.</jats:p>

Shohei Kanamura, Motoshige Yagyu

Journal of The Electrochemical Society • 2023

<jats:p>A method for directly recovering precious metals from polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) by electrochemical dissolution without dismantling the cells was developed. After filling a single PEFC containing Pt and Ru catalysts with 1 mol l<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> HCl solution, 100 wt% of Pt and 96 wt% of Ru dissolved into the solution by periodically changing the electric polarity of the fuel and air electrodes containing Pt and Ru metal. To confirm the adaptability of this method to cell stack assemblies (CSAs), electrochemical dissolution tests using 3- and 5-cell CSAs, and a 700 W CSA were also conducted. In the 3- and 5-cell CSA tests, 100 wt% of Pt and 95 wt% of Ru were recovered as ions. In the case of the 700 W CSA, 86.8 wt% of Pt and 88.4 wt% of Ru were recovered as ions in 9.2 L of 1 mol l<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> HCl after 180 min of electrolysis. Power consumption rates for Pt and Ru dissolution in the 700 W CSA cell were approximately 0.13 kW h g<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>. Thus, the feasibility of the electrochemical dissolution method of Pt and Ru from PEFCs without dismantling PEFCs was confirmed.</jats:p>

Felix Wong, Ariel Amir

• 0

<jats:p>Membrane lysis, or rupture, is a cell death pathway in bacteria frequently caused by cell wall-targeting antibiotics. Although several studies have clarified biochemical mechanisms of antibiotic action, a physical understanding of the processes leading to lysis remains lacking. Here, we analyze the dynamics of membrane bulging and lysis in<jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic>, where, strikingly, the formation of an initial bulge (“bulging”) after cell wall digestion occurs on a characteristic timescale as fast as 100 ms and the growth of the bulge (“swelling”) occurs on a slower characteristic timescale of 10-100 s. We show that bulging can be energetically favorable due to the relaxation of the entropic and stretching energies of the inner membrane, cell wall, and outer membrane and that experimentally observed bulge shapes are consistent with model predictions. We then show that swelling can involve both the continued flow of water into the cytoplasm and the enlargement of wall defects, after which cell lysis is consistent with both the inner and outer membranes exceeding characteristic estimates of the yield areal strains of biological membranes. Our results contrast biological membrane physics and the physics of thin shells, reveal principles of how all bacteria likely function in their native states, and may have implications for cellular morphogenesis and antibiotic discovery across different species of bacteria.</jats:p>

Masurkar AAK

Open Access Journal of Microbiology &amp; Biotechnology • 0

<jats:p>Single Cell Oils (SCO) is of profound interest for a variety of purposes ranging from biofuels to nutritional adjuvants, pharmaceutical applications and biotransformation for valuable products. A number of microorganisms have been shown to produce and accumulate SCO. In the present study a methodical attempt was made to isolate potential SCO producers from Indian water sources. Saltwater samples from the Arabian Sea and freshwater samples from an Indian cold-water river (Pindhari River, Uttarakhand) were collected and studied for the occurrence of lipid producing microbes. Of the several isolates shortlisted as lipid producers three isolates from this study were identified as potential SCO producers based on their lipid producing abilities. The types of fatty acids comprising the SCO from selected isolates were studied by Gas Chromatography (GC) and confirmed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Lipid profiles from the GC analysis showed that the isolates in this study produced economically and nutritionally valuable Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) like Palmitoleic acid and Oleic acid. Also, two isolates from the Arabian Sea were seen to produce a valuable omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) like Eicosapentanoic acid. While a freshwater isolate produced Linoleic acid an omega-6 PUFA. Selected isolates were characterized for their biochemical characteristics and identified molecularly by 16S rRNA sequencing. Ornithinibacillus sp. Marseille-P3601 strain isolated in our study from the cold-water River Pindhari, Uttarakhand is found capable of producing PUFA.</jats:p>

Urania Michaelidou, Annemiek ter Heijne, Gerrit Jan W. Euverink et al.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology • 2011

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:p> Four types of titanium (Ti)-based electrodes were tested in the same microbial fuel cell (MFC) anodic compartment. Their electrochemical performances and the dominant microbial communities of the electrode biofilms were compared. The electrodes were identical in shape, macroscopic surface area, and core material but differed in either surface coating (Pt- or Ta-coated metal composites) or surface texture (smooth or rough). The MFC was inoculated with electrochemically active, neutrophilic microorganisms that had been enriched in the anodic compartments of acetate-fed MFCs over a period of 4 years. The original inoculum consisted of bioreactor sludge samples amended with <jats:italic>Geobacter sulfurreducens</jats:italic> strain PCA. Overall, the Pt- and Ta-coated Ti bioanodes (electrode-biofilm association) showed higher current production than the uncoated Ti bioanodes. Analyses of extracted DNA of the anodic liquid and the Pt- and Ta-coated Ti electrode biofilms indicated differences in the dominant bacterial communities. Biofilm formation on the uncoated electrodes was poor and insufficient for further analyses. Bioanode samples from the Pt- and Ta-coated Ti electrodes incubated with Fe(III) and acetate showed several Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, of which selected species were dominant, on the surface of the electrodes. In contrast, nitrate-enriched samples showed less diversity, and the enriched strains were not dominant on the electrode surface. Isolated Fe(III)-reducing strains were phylogenetically related, but not all identical, to <jats:italic>Geobacter sulfurreducens</jats:italic> strain PCA. Other bacterial species were also detected in the system, such as a <jats:italic>Propionicimonas</jats:italic> -related species that was dominant in the anodic liquid and <jats:italic>Pseudomonas</jats:italic> -, <jats:italic>Clostridium</jats:italic> -, <jats:italic>Desulfovibrio</jats:italic> -, <jats:italic>Azospira</jats:italic> -, and <jats:italic>Aeromonas</jats:italic> -related species. </jats:p>

Samir Bensaid, Bernardo Ruggeri, Guido Saracco

Energies • 0

<jats:p>In this article the concept, the materials and the exploitation potential of a photosynthetic microbial electrochemical cell for the production of hydrogen driven by solar power are investigated. In a photosynthetic microbial electrochemical cell, which is based on photosynthetic microorganisms confined to an anode and heterotrophic bacteria confined to a cathode, water is split by bacteria hosted in the anode bioactive film. The generated electrons are conveyed through external “bio-appendages” developed by the bacteria to transparent nano-pillars made of indium tin oxide (ITO), Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) or other conducting materials, and then transferred to the cathode. On the other hand, the generated protons diffuse to the cathode via a polymer electrolyte membrane, where they are reduced by the electrons by heterotrophic bacteria growing attached to a similar pillared structure as that envisaged for the anode and supplemented with a specific low cost substrate (e.g., organic waste, anaerobic digestion outlet). The generated oxygen is released to the atmosphere or stored, while the produced pure hydrogen leaves the electrode through the porous layers. In addition, the integration of the photosynthetic microbial electrochemical cell system with dark fermentation as acidogenic step of anaerobic digester, which is able to produce additional H2, and the use of microbial fuel cell, feed with the residues of dark fermentation (mainly volatile fatty acids), to produce the necessary extra-bias for the photosynthetic microbial electrochemical cell is here analyzed to reveal the potential benefits to this novel integrated technology.</jats:p>

Justine Papillon, Benoît Ter-Ovanessian, Olivier Ondel et al.

Journal of The Electrochemical Society • 2021

<jats:p>Entangled stainless steel single wire was used as a promising 3D anode for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). Two complementary techniques were coupled to precisely characterize the anode structure and activity: X-Ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). XRCT provides an acurate estimation of the pore distribution and size while EIS allows to check and monitor the electrochemical activity. Electrochemical measurements were performed with activated sludges and synthetic medium at an imposed potential of −0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl in a single chamber MFC. Modified Transmission Line Model was used to follow the evolution of the anode in both media including the formation and the growth on the biofilm.</jats:p>

G. Lepage, G. Perrier, G. Merlin et al.

RSC Adv. • 0

<p>A lab-scale microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) anode and a non-catalyzed multi-layered carbon air-cathode was electrochemically characterized under various physicochemical factors: temperature (15–25 °C), phosphate buffer concentration (4–8 mM), acetate concentration (7.1–14.3 mM), and equivalent solution conductivity (2.5–5 mS cm⁻¹).</p>

J. Barrett, S. Pye, Sam Betts-Davies et al.

Nature Energy • 2022

In recent years, global studies have attempted to understand the contribution that energy demand reduction could make to climate mitigation efforts. Here we develop a bottom-up, whole-system framework that comprehensively estimates the potential for energy demand reduction at a country level. Replicable for other countries, our framework is applied to the case of the United Kingdom where we find that reductions in energy demand of 52% by 2050 compared with 2020 levels are possible without compromising on citizens’ quality of life. This translates to annual energy demands of 40 GJ per person, compared with the current Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 116 GJ and the global average of 55 GJ. Our findings show that energy demand reduction can reduce reliance on high-risk carbon dioxide removal technologies, has moderate investment requirements and allows space for ratcheting up climate ambition. We conclude that national climate policy should increasingly develop and integrate energy demand reduction measures. Efforts to model the contribution of energy demand reductions towards climate targets typically focus at the global scale. Here, Barrett et al. develop an approach for understanding the country-level demand reduction potential and explore options for lowering final energy demand in the United Kingdom.

Haifeng Liu, J. Ampah, Yang Zhao et al.

Energies • 2022

Arguably, one of the most important issues the world is facing currently is climate change. At the current rate of fossil fuel consumption, the world is heading towards extreme levels of global temperature rise if immediate actions are not taken. Transforming the current energy system from one largely based on fossil fuels to a carbon-neutral one requires unprecedented speed. Based on the current state of development, direct electrification of the future energy system alone is technically challenging and not enough, especially in hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry, road trucking, international shipping, and aviation. This leaves a considerable demand for alternative carbon-neutral fuels such as green ammonia and hydrogen and renewable methanol. From this perspective, we discuss the overarching roles of each fuel in reaching net zero emission within the next three decades. The challenges and future directions associated with the fuels conclude the current perspective paper.

P. Plötz, Jakob Wachsmuth, F. Sprei et al.

Climate Policy • 2023

ABSTRACT Following the Paris Agreement, virtually all countries worldwide have committed themselves to undertaking efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. Within the European Union (EU), the recent ‘Fit for 55’ policy package proposes ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policies for all sectors as part of the EU's contribution to limiting global warming. Yet, it is unclear whether the proposed policies are sufficient for the EU to limit global warming to 1.5 °C and it remains an open policy problem how to translate global temperature targets into sector-specific emission budgets and further into sector-specific policies. Here, we derive GHG budgets for transport in EU27 and obtain GHG mitigation pathways for Europe consistent with 1.5 °C global warming. We do not provide a comprehensive assessment of the ‘Fit for 55’ transport package but we discuss the main policies for road transport in light of the GHG emission budgets, their level of ambition, and suggest amendments to these policies as well as improvements to the ‘Fit for 55’ package. Our results suggest that parts of the ‘Fit for 55’ for transport are still not ambitious enough to align with a 1.5 °C scenario. Key policy insights A Paris-compatible residual carbon budget for EU transport is 10–12 Gt CO2. The budget implies net zero emissions for EU transport by 2044–2048 latest. We find the current ‘Fit for 55’ proposal for transport is not ambitious enough. A faster phase-out of cars and trucks with combustion engines is required and there is a need for ambitious standards for fast charging e-vehicles. CO2 pricing of transport is not a substitute but a complement to fleet targets.

Gresia Putri Damayanti, Waluyo Waluyo, Rosita Candrakirana

PLEDOI (Jurnal Hukum dan Keadilan) • 2023

The goal of this paper is to conduct a normative analysis of the PLTSa development in Indonesia as a form of net-zero emissions policy. This research is normative and conducted through library research utilizing the statute approach method. It is done by looking normatively at the relevant statutory regulations. So, utilizing the theory developed by Hans Kelsen and Nawiasky, known as the stufenbau theory, he concentrates on the discussion of statutory regulations connected to PLTSa development in the discussion part and the study findings. Examining if different legal frameworks governing PLTSa development in Indonesia are harmonized is the goal. Additionally, the discussion and research findings in this paper draw on studies of the literature from a range of sources that address the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of Good Environmental Governance in Indonesia's PLTSa development plans. According to the research in this paper, it can be concluded that PLTSa development in Indonesia can positively influence efforts to achieve net zero emissions, and that PLTSa use in waste management is a form of environmental protection that is consistent with the objectives of sustainable development. In order to develop and administer PLTSa in Indonesia, the government still needs to take into account a number of factors, starting with the implementation of these policies and statutory regulations. in order for the PLTSa policy optimization to work effectively.

K. Doering, C. Anderson, S. Steinschneider

Oxford Open Energy • 2023

Rapid increases in global temperature are motivating governments to restructure the energy sector towards emissions-free electricity generation. One of the key factors affecting the viability of emissions-free power systems is the joint variability of renewable resources and drivers of energy demand across spatiotemporal scales. This study evaluates the impact of multi-scale hydroclimatic variability on the reliability of a zero-emissions power system in a case study of New York State (NYS), which recently passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requiring zero-emissions electricity generation by 2040. We first analyze covariation between renewable energy generation and energy demand, including large-scale hydropower generation on the Great Lakes, and develop a stochastic generator to simulate an ensemble of plausible realizations of this joint variability. Using a simplified energy balance model of the NYS power system, we then quantify resource gaps across spatiotemporal scales that emerge under load and generation scenarios projected under the CLCPA. We focus on the intensity, duration, and frequency of these gaps, which will have to be filled with carbon-free, dispatchable resources not prescribed under the CLCPA. We show that the covariability between load and wind can lead to major short-term resource gaps, which is exacerbated by transmission constraints. We also show that long-duration hydropower droughts increase the likelihood of co-occurring renewable resource deficits and extended periods (weeks to months) of energy shortage. We conclude by discussing the implications of these results on the need for alternative, carbon-free, and dispatchable resources to support zero-emission, hydropower-reliant electric grids.

Hamed Kouchaki-Penchah, O. Bahn, Kathleen Vaillancourt et al.

Environmental Science &amp; Technology • 2023

Global pathways limiting warming to 2 °C or below require deep carbon dioxide removal through a large-scale transformation of the land surface, an increase in forest cover, and the deployment of negative emission technologies (NETs). Government initiatives endorse bioenergy as an alternative, carbon-neutral energy source for fossil fuels. However, this carbon neutral assumption is increasingly being questioned, with several studies indicating that it may result in accounting errors and biased decision-making. To address this growing issue, we use a carbon budget model combined with an energy system model. We show that including forest sequestration in the energy system model alleviates the decarbonization effort. We discuss how a forest management strategy with a high sequestration capacity reduces the need for expensive negative emission technologies. This study indicates the necessity of establishing the most promising forest management strategy before investing in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Finally, we describe how a carbon neutrality assumption may lead to biased decision-making because it allows the model to use more biomass without being constrained by biogenic CO2 emissions. The risk of biased decision-making is higher for regions that have lower forest coverage, since available forest sequestration cannot sink biogenic emissions in the short term, and importing bioenergy could worsen the situation.

J. Ampah, Sandylove Afrane, H. Adun et al.

Environmental Research Letters • 2024

As the remaining carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5 °C rapidly diminishes, it is clear that, besides decarbonization, the world will need to remove 100–1000 GtCO2 from the atmosphere by the end of the century. Yet, Africa, where many carbon removal schemes are planned, remains a ‘blindspot’ in existing studies. There is limited understanding of the trade-offs and synergies associated with carbon removal within Africa’s energy-land-water system. To address this research gap, we model a stylized net-zero emissions (NZEs) in Africa by 2050, with focus on three land-based biological carbon removal approaches: afforestation/reforestation (AR), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and biochar. We find that by 2050, the total gross carbon removal is projected to reach 1.2 GtCO2 yr−1 when all three carbon removal approaches are available, and 0.5 GtCO2 yr−1 when Africa relies solely on AR. Pursuing NZE with only AR or AR alongside biochar in Africa would be the most expensive mitigation option but they lead to the lowest residual fossil fuel and industry CO2 emissions. An NZE by 2050 in Africa could reduce cropland by 30%–40% from 2020 to 2050, depending on the carbon dioxide removal deployment strategy adopted. Southern Africa would be particularly affected, facing significant challenges in balancing food security with climate goals. The highest increase in staple food prices will occur under AR only, while the availability of AR-BECCS-biochar produces the lowest rise in staple food prices. Our findings highlight the need for balanced and region-specific carbon dioxide removal strategies to ensure climate and other sustainability goals are met.

Vicky Firmansyah, Made Krisna Adinarayana, R. Tetrisyanda et al.

E3S Web of Conferences • 2023

In 2011, Indonesia set a 26% reduction goal for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to mitigate the climate change. Based on data from BPS, Indonesia's renewable energy mix in 2021 is 12.16% with a target of 23% in 2025. This indicates that there are challenges faced by Indonesia in many sectors, especially the upstream oil and gas industry as one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, in achieving the energy transition target. In this study, trend analysis and data forecasting were carried out using trend analysis of time series data on oil and gas energy supply and consumption data as baseline to propose scenarios for both consumption and utilization energy to achieve net zero emission (NZE) in 2060. This study found that NZE may be achieved by applying energy consumption scenarios including the use of electric vehicles by 10% in 2030, and 90% in 2060 and the use of electric stoves by 25% in 2030, and 90% in 2060. Renewable energy utilization scenarios include geothermal (50%), hydro (50%), mini hydro (50%), solar (80%), and wind (15%) of the existing potential. In addition, early retirement for coal-fired power plants is needed.

W. Sparber, Andrea Grotto, P. Zambelli et al.

World Electric Vehicle Journal • 2023

Public bus decarbonization is increasingly important to address the global issue of climate change. There are several challenges associated with large-scale introduction of zero-emission technologies in public fleets. This is especially the case in an extra-urban context, of mountain regions with challenging weather conditions. In this work the analysis of the state-of-the-art ZEBs, local bus lines, and timetables was performed to understand the best fit of technology—battery electric buses (BEBs) or fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs)—for each line in such a region. Further, a simulation tool was developed to calculate the compatibility of zero-emission technologies with the current needs of the public transportation considering distance, altitude difference, and climate conditions. The results show that a complete switch of the fleet is possible with a slight increase in the number of buses and that there is no clear difference in the distance covered in mountainous areas by BEBs versus FCEBs, but that both technologies can cover similar distances. The tool developed is not limited to bus fleets but can be applied to all kinds of fleets that cover clearly defined daily routes.

Dirk J Smit, J. B. Powell

Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering • 2023

Scientific and engineering capabilities in hydrocarbon supply chains developed over decades in international oil and gas companies (IOCs) uniquely position these companies to drive rapid scale-up and transition to a net zero emission (NZE) economy. Flexible large-scale production of energy carriers such as hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and other synthetic fuels produced with low- or zero-emission renewable power, nuclear energy, or hydrogen derived from natural gas with carbon capture and storage will enable long-distance transport and permanent storage options for clean energy. Use of energy carriers can overcome the inherent constraints of a fully electrified energy system by providing the energy and power densities, as well as transport and storage capacity required to achieve energy supply and security in a net zero emission economy, and over time allow optimization to the lowest cost for a consumer anywhere on the globe. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Volume 14 is June 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Kai Zhang, Xiaojuan Lei, Caiqing Mo et al.

Advanced Science • 2023

High indoor humidity/temperature pose serious public health threat and hinder industrial productivity, thus adversely impairing the wellness and economy of the entire society. Traditional air conditioning systems for dehumidification and cooling involve significant energy consumption and have accelerated the greenhouse effect. Here, this work demonstrates an asymmetric bilayer cellulose‐based fabric that enables solar‐driven continuous indoor dehumidification, transpiration‐driven power generation, and passive radiative cooling using the same textile without any energy input. The multimode fabric (ABMTF) consists of a cellulose moisture absorption–evaporation layer (ADF) and a cellulose acetate (CA) radiation layer. The ABMTF exhibits a high moisture absorption capacity and water evaporation rate, which quickly reduces the indoor relative humidity (RH) to a comfortable level (40–60% RH) under 1 sun illumination. The evaporation‐driven continuous capillary flow generates a maximum open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.82 V, and a power density (P) up to 1.13 µW cm−3. When a CA layer with high solar reflection and mid‐infrared (mid‐IR) emissivity faces outward, it realizes subambient cooling of ≈12 °C with average cooling power of ≈106 W m−2 at midday under radiation of 900 W m−2. This work brings a new perspective to develop the next‐generation, high performance environmentally friendly materials for sustainable moisture/thermal management and self‐powered applications.