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Bioelectrochemical Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide To Acetate Using A Microbial Consortium Derived From The Cow Rumen, Ryan Hammonds

All Theses

Pure cultures of chemoautotrophic microorganisms have previously been reported to produce acetate from carbon dioxide using reductive electric current. We hypothesized that electrofuel precursors could be produced in a similar manner from a consortium consisting of microbial populations acting as a stable community. This approach might offer improved efficiency and selectivity, greater sustainability, a more diverse group of end products, and more opportunities for community optimization in electrofuel production than is possible with pure cultures. To evaluate this concept, bovine rumen contents were enriched for autotrophic, anaerobic microbes for several generations using hydrogen and carbon dioxide for growth and energy. …