Chemoautotrophic organisms have once been excluded from the development of universally applicable CO2 fixation technology due to its low production yields of biomass. In this study, we used Acidithiobacillusferrooxida...Chemoautotrophic organisms have once been excluded from the development of universally applicable CO2 fixation technology due to its low production yields of biomass. In this study, we used Acidithiobacillusferrooxidans （A.f.） as a model chemoautotrophic microorganism to test the hypothesis that exogenetic photoelectrons from semiconducting mineral photocatalysis can enable the regeneration of Fe^2＋ that could be then used by A.f. and support its growth. In a simulated electrochemical system, where exogenetic electrons were provided by an electrochemical approach, an accelerated growth rate of A.f. was observed as compared with that in traditional batch cultivation. In a coupled system, where light-irradiated natural rutile provided the primary electron source to feed A.f., the bacterial growth rate as well as the subsequent CO2 fixation rate was demonstrated to be in a light-dependent manner. The sustaining flow of photogenerated electrons from semiconducting mineral to bacteria provided an inexhaustible electron source for chemoautotrophic bacteria growth and CO2 fixation. This finding might contribute to the development of novel effective CO2 fixation technology.展开更多
基金supported by the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41230103)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41272003)
文摘Chemoautotrophic organisms have once been excluded from the development of universally applicable CO2 fixation technology due to its low production yields of biomass. In this study, we used Acidithiobacillusferrooxidans （A.f.） as a model chemoautotrophic microorganism to test the hypothesis that exogenetic photoelectrons from semiconducting mineral photocatalysis can enable the regeneration of Fe^2＋ that could be then used by A.f. and support its growth. In a simulated electrochemical system, where exogenetic electrons were provided by an electrochemical approach, an accelerated growth rate of A.f. was observed as compared with that in traditional batch cultivation. In a coupled system, where light-irradiated natural rutile provided the primary electron source to feed A.f., the bacterial growth rate as well as the subsequent CO2 fixation rate was demonstrated to be in a light-dependent manner. The sustaining flow of photogenerated electrons from semiconducting mineral to bacteria provided an inexhaustible electron source for chemoautotrophic bacteria growth and CO2 fixation. This finding might contribute to the development of novel effective CO2 fixation technology.
