Biochemistry Commons^™

Understanding The Molecular Mechanisms Of Photoferrotrophy And Phototrophic Extracellular Electron Uptake, Dinesh Gupta

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several anoxygenic phototrophs grow by utilizing soluble iron or insoluble mixed-valence iron minerals (such as rust) as electron donors to fix carbon dioxide using light energy, a process called photoferrotrophy. Photoferrotrophs can also use electron donors such as poised electrodes that serve as proxies for rust via phototrophic extracellular electron uptake (EEU). Despite the recognition that these two related microbial processes contribute to various biogeochemical cycles such as iron and carbon, the electron uptake mechanisms underlying photoferrotrophy and phototrophic EEU are poorly understood. To address the key knowledge gaps in our understanding of these microbial metabolisms, here we characterized Rhodopseudomonas …