KAUST scientists, led by Prof Pascal Saikaly have enlisted extremophilic exoelectrogenic bacteria from deep Red Sea brine pools to drive microbial electrolysis cells that detoxify hot, salty industrial wastewater while producing clean energy.
“We have shown not only that exoelectrogens are present in these environments, but also that they can be used to run MECs under challenging high-temperature and high-salinity conditions,” says lead author Noura Shehab.
Prototype reactors seeded with Valdivia-pool water generated a steady current for nearly two months at 70 °C and 25 % salinity, thanks to a biofilm enriched in the genus Bacterioides. The team is now investigating Red Sea electrotrophs that could turn waste CO₂ into valuable chemicals, bringing self-powered, resource-recovery wastewater treatment closer to reality.