Programma: FP 6
Titolo progetto: Electrochemical control of biofilm-formingmicro-organisms: screening, identification, anddesign of new knowledge-based technologies
Acronimo: EA Biofilm
Durata: 2004-2007
Budget totale: € 3.056.378
Sito Web: http://www.ea-biofilms.org/
Sommario: Electrochemically active biofilms, which can achieve a direct electrochemical connection when they form on a conductive material, may be the basis of a new power source. Biofilms of micro-organisms form naturally on solid surfaces. Until now, they have been seen as harmful, either to human health, or to industrial products. But recent research suggests they have properties which can be used to catalyse or control electrochemical reactions, and could lead to a widerange of new products and processes over the next decade.Recent research has identified the phenomenon of electrochemically active biofilms (EABs). So far, however, these results have come mainly through chance. And while they promise wide-ranging new applications in fields such as bio-energy, bio-remediation, chemical/biological synthesis,bio-corrosion mitigation and biosensors, the science is still at an early stage. Pursuing this research will allow scientists to increase their understanding of biofilms, which form naturally on a wide range of surfaces.A multidisciplinary team of researchers from France, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Portugal, has set out, in an EU-funded project, to test a wide range of microorganisms and identify those which are electrochemically active. Rather than growing new genetically engineered microorganisms, as other research teams are doing, this team will take advantage of natural biodiversity and test existing microbial fauna. Over a period of two years, they will screen a range of media, such as aerobic and anaerobic sea waters. Their aim is to identify the micro-organisms which form EABs through observing their behaviour on different electrodes
Contact person in ISMAR: marco.faimali@ismar.cnr.it
Partnership:
- CNRS – France
- CNR-ISMAR – Italy
- UDE-BC – Germany
- UGent – Belgium
- CQFB – UNL – Portugal
- CEA – France
- CESI – Italy