Biokinetic Characterization of Ferroplasma acidiphilum

Recently a mixed culture dominated by the iron-oxidizing microorganisms Leptospirillum and Ferroplasma has been used in a large-scale microbial fuel cell for electrical power generation. There are many factors that affect the kinetics of iron oxidation by the mixotroph Ferroplasma acidiphilum. This study investigated the effects of pH, temperature, and substrate and yeast extract concentrations in order to arrive at kinetically favorable operating conditions with minimal jarosite precipitation. Furthermore, F. acidiphilum was cultured with Leptospirillum sp. in order to determine its viability as a species capable of limiting the organic by-products of chemolithotrophic microbial growth. Bacterial characterization in the culture was accomplished using Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH). It was found that the ferrous iron oxidation was most favorable at yeast extract concentration of 0.02% (w/v), pH of 1.6, temperature of 35°C and an initial ferrous iron concentration of 1 g/L yielding a maximum specific growth rate of 0.0351-0.042 h^-1. Moreover, F. acidiphilum displayed a symbiotic relationship with its chemolithotrophic counterpart, Leptospirillum sp. in that they were able to utilize the metabolic organic products of the chemolithotroph and limit the organic concentration to ~20 ppm Total Organic Carbon (TOC), well below the threshold concentration of 250 ppm for chemolithotroph activity.