Research initiatives in MAPTech Lab have shown that anammox bacteria can oxidize ammonium to nitrogen gas while transferring electrons to extracellular acceptors -such as graphene oxide or electrodes- to generate an electric current and energy-rich hydrogen gas.

“We found that freshwater and marine anammox bacteria can also transfer electrons from ammonium to extracellular electron acceptors, like graphene oxide or electrodes in microbial electrolysis cells,” says Ph.D. student Dario Shaw smartwatermagazine.com. Genomic analysis uncovered iron-containing cytochromes enabling electrons to traverse three cellular membranes—a first demonstration of triple-membrane electron transfer.

“This means that we have demonstrated for the first time a type of bacteria that can transfer electrons through three different membranes,” says Prof. Saikaly. These findings suggest anammox could be harnessed for direct, energy-neutral or energy-positive ammonium removal in wastewater treatment.

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