Microorganisms can be used in four ways for producing electrical energy: (i) Microorganisms can produce electrochemically active substances through fermentation or metabolism. For the purpose of energy generation, fuels are produced in separate microbial bio-reactors and transported to the anode of a conventional fuel cell, (ii) In the second configuration, the microbiological fermentation process proceeds directly in the anodic compartment of the fuel cell,(iii) In the third configuration, electron-transfer mediators shuttle electrons between the microbial bio-catalytic system and the electrode. The mediator molecules accept electrons from the biological electron transport chain of the microorganisms and transport them to the anode of the biological fuel cell, (iv) In the fourth configuration, the metal-reducing bacterium having cytochromes in its outer membrane and the ability to communicate electrically with the electrode surface directly result in a mediator-less biological fuel cell.
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