Evaluation of bioelectricity productivity using alkaliphilic bacillus alkalogaya BW2(1) as a possible exoelectrogens for improvement of microbial fuel cell performance

Abstract

The present study put forth with the fundamental objective to the exploration of exoelectrogens from the extremophilic environment and to investigate the electricity generation from them. A total of 20 bacterial cultures were isolated, from which BW2(1) was selected for the further investigation of the microbial fuel cell (MFC). The experimental results performed that the strain Bacillus alkalogaya BW2(1) was capable of utilizing organic acids and sugars as electron donors to generate electricity. The MFC was constructed and the electricity generation was measured after various intervals using various parameters and substrates, 937 mV electricity was generated after 1 hour, but after 48 hours the electricity generation dramatically decreases to 570 mV. The effect of pH on MFC was also studied, pH enhanced electricity, indicating the requirement of pH for bacterium BW2(1). This is a valuable information for bioelectricity production and optimization from B. alkalogaya BW2(1) has bright future toward the improvement and production of bioelectricity for entirely new areas of industrial and biotechnological applications.