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Synechococcus-Shewanella D-Lactate Biophotovoltaic Consortium

Community ID CommunityMech:000211
Ecological State ENGINEERED
Environment biophotovoltaic laboratory electrochemical coculture
ENVO:01001405

A two-species engineered biophotovoltaic consortium pairing engineered Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 with engineered Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The cyanobacterium converts light and carbon dioxide into D-lactate, and the exoelectrogenic Shewanella partner oxidizes D-lactate and transfers electrons to an anode. The system is relevant to DOE bioenergy and bioelectrochemical research because it demonstrates division of labor for renewable electricity production from photosynthesis, metabolite transfer, and extracellular electron transfer.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 NCBITaxon:1350461
PRIMARY_PRODUCER CROSS_FEEDER
N/A
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973"
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Syn2973-omcS-ldh, equipped with the photosynthetic machinery and a D-lactate synthesis pathway"
Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 NCBITaxon:211586
CROSS_FEEDER
N/A

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Synechococcus-Shewanella D-Lactate Biophotovoltaic Consortium Bipartite graph where circle nodes represent taxa and colored rectangles represent ecological interactions (cross-feeding, mutualism, syntrophy, competition, commensalism).
Taxon
Cross-feeding
Mutualism
Syntrophy
Competition
Commensalism
Niche partitioning
Colonization facilitation
Strain competition
Predation

Photosynthetic D-Lactate Cross-Feeding

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973

Target Taxon: Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Metabolites: D-lactic acid (CHEBI:42111), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "D-lactate mediated microbial consortium consisting of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and exoelectrogenic Shewanella"
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "D-lactate is selected as the energy carrier"

Shewanella Anode Electron Transfer

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Target Taxon: Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973

Metabolites: D-lactic acid (CHEBI:42111)

Biological Processes:

  • interspecies interaction between organisms (GO:0044419)

Evidence

  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "releases electrons from D-lactate and transfers them to the anode"
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "converting organic compounds into electricity using its efficient EET capacity"

Spatial-Temporal Separation for Compatibility

COLONIZATION_FACILITATION

Source Taxon: Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973

Target Taxon: Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Biological Processes:

  • interspecies interaction between organisms (GO:0044419)

Evidence

  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Light-induced damage was also reflected in increased intracellular reactive oxygen species"
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "temporal/spatial separation design conquered the physiological incompatibility"

External Resources

Name Repository Resource ID
Primary publication - Synechococcus-Shewanella biophotovoltaic consortium
Primary publication reporting a D-lactate-mediated photosynthetic cyanobacteria-Shewanella biophotovoltaic consortium. 		OTHER PMID:31537786
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Development of a longevous two-species biophotovoltaics with constrained electron flow"
Open full text - Synechococcus-Shewanella biophotovoltaic consortium
Open-access full text with methods, engineered strain descriptions, and device organization. 		OTHER PMCID:PMC6753107
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The microbial consortium comprises an engineered cyanobacterium"
DOI landing page - Synechococcus-Shewanella biophotovoltaic consortium
DOI landing page for the Nature Communications publication. 		OTHER doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12190-w
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Development of a longevous two-species biophotovoltaics with constrained electron flow"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Light-driven charging phase Continuous illumination with 3 percent carbon dioxide for cyanobacterial D-lactate production N/A
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "light incubator with 3% CO2 and a continuous illumination"
Medium and device compatibility MBG11 medium with temporal, spatial, and spatial-temporal separation variants N/A
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "modified medium suitable for two species was established, which was named MBG11"
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "created a compatible extracellular environment for two species"
Long-duration power output over 40 days with average power density of 135 mW per square meter N/A
  • PMID:31537786 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "stable operation for over 40 days with an average power density of 135"

Growth Media

MBG11 biophotovoltaic consortium medium

Atmosphere AEROBIC

Preparation notes: MBG11 is a modified BG11-based medium adjusted to support both the cyanobacterium and Shewanella in the electrochemical device. The full component table is in the source supplementary material and is not reasserted here.

Evidence

PMID:31537786

"cyanobacterial medium BG11"

PMID:31537786

"a modified medium suitable for two species was established, which was named MBG11"

PMID:31537786

"S. oneidensis cells were subsequently inoculated at an OD600 of 0.1"