Biofilms in Bioelectrochemical Systems: From Laboratory Practice to Data Interpretation

The first book to focus exclusively on electrochemically active biofilms (EABs)

Biofilms grown in microbial fuel cells and bioelectrochemical systems are called electrochemically active biofilms. Using examples from real biofilm research to illustrate the techniques used for electrochemically active biofilms, this book is of most use to researchers and educators studying microbial fuel cell and bioelectrochemical systems.

Emphasizing the theoretical principles of bioelectrochemistry, experimental procedures and tools useful in quantifying electron transfer processes in biofilms, and mathematical modeling of electron transfer in biofilms, Biofilms in Bioelectrochemical Systems: From Laboratory Practice to Data Interpretation is divided into three sections: 

Microbiologic and microbioelectrochemistry biofilms, which focuses on the microbiologic aspect of electrochemically active biofilms and details the key points of biofilm preparation and electrochemical measurement. Electrochemical techniques to study electron transfer processes and focus on electrochemical characterization and data interpretation, highlighting key factors in the experimental procedures that affect reproducibility Applications of electrochemically active biofilms and development of custom tools to study electrochemically active biofilms. Chapters detail how to build the reactors for applications and measure parameters

This book serves as a valuable manual of research techniques for studying EABs and sets the standard in providing protocols with reproducible and repeatable results. Medical researchers, microbiologists, environmental engineers, and material scientists will find a valuable resource in this monograph.

1. Introduction to electrochemically active biofilms
H Beyenal and J. Babauta

2. Theoretical and practical considerations for culturing Geobacter biofilms in microbial fuel cells and other bioelectrochemical systems
Allison M. Speers and Gemma Reguera

3. Microbial Community Characterization on Polarized Electrode Surfaces
John Regan

4. Characterization of Electrode–Associated Biomass and Microbial Communities 
Shino Suzuki, Shun ichi Ishii and Orianna Bretschger

5. Biofilm electrochemistry
J. Babauta and H. Beyenal

6. Theory of Redox Conduction and the Measurement of  Electron Transport Rates through Electrochemically Active Biofilm
Darryl A. Boyd, Jeffrey S. Erickson, Jared N. Roy, Rachel M. Snider, Sarah M. Strycharz–Glaven, and Leonard M. Tender

7. Electronic Conductivity in Living Biofilms: Physical Meaning, Mechanisms and Measurement Methods
Nikhil S. Malvankar and Derek R. Lovley

8. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy as a Powerful Analytical Tool for the Study of Microbial Electrochemical Cells
Rachel A. Yoho, Sudeep C. Popat, Francisco Fabregat–Santiago, Sixto Giménez, Annemiek ter Heijne, and César I. Torres

9. Modeling Electron transfer processes in biofilms
Ryan Renslow, Jerome Babauta, Andrew Kuprat, Jim Schenk, Cornelius Ivory, Jim Fredrickson, and Haluk Beyenal

10. Applications of Bioelectrochemical Energy Harvesting in the Marine Environment
Clare E. Reimers

11. Large Scale Benthic Microbial Fuel Cell Construction, Deployment, and Operation
Jeff Kagan, Lewis Hsu, and Bart Chadwick

Haluk Beyenal, PhD, is Full Professor at the Gene and Linda Voil and School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University. He worked as a post–doctoral researcher and then Assistant Research Professor in biofilm structure and function and bioelectrochemistry research groups in the Center for Biofilm Engineering.  He has authored over 105 scientific publications and a book on biofilms with Professor Zbigniew Lewandowski entitled "Fundamentals of Biofilm Research".  In 2007 and 2010, he received 3M non–tenured faculty award and National Science Foundation CAREER award to study electrochemically active biofilms, respectively.

Jerome T. Babauta, PhD,an expert in biofilm electrochemistry and the integration of tools to study biofilms with electrochemical methods. He has combined tools such as microsensors, quartz crystal microbalances, and rotating electrodes with traditional electrochemical methods to develop new ways to study electrochemically active biofilms.Currently, his primary interest is to understand the fundamentals of biofilm impedance for electrochemically active biofilms operating in a wide range of research topics including bioelectrochemical systems, metal corrosion, and biofilm control