We study how well KamLAND, the first terrestrial neutrino experiment capable of addressing the solar neutrino problem, will perform in ascertaining whether or not the large mixing angle MSW solution (with 10 < ∆m21 < 10 −3 eV and oscillation amplitude sin2 θ12 > 0.2) is correct. We find that in a year of operation KamLAND will provide unequivocal evidence for or against this solution. Furthermo...

Acidobacterium capsulatum is an acid-tolerant, encapsulated, Gram-negative member of the ubiquitous, but poorly understood Acidobacteria phylum. Little is known about the genetics and regulatory mechanisms of A. capsulatum. To begin to address this gap, we identified the gene encoding the A. capsulatum major sigma factor, rpoD, which encodes a 597-amino acid protein with a predicted sequence hi...

Given our vast methane reserves and the difficulty in transporting methane without substantial leaks, the conversion of methane directly into electricity would be beneficial. Microbial fuel cells harness electrical power from a wide variety of substrates through biological means; however, the greenhouse gas methane has not been used with much success previously as a substrate in microbial fuel ...

Power generation in microbial fuel cells implemented in constructed wetlands (CW-MFCs) is low despite the enrichment of anode electricigens most closely related to Geobacter lovleyi. Using the model representative G. lovleyi strain SZ, we show that acetate, but not formate or lactate, can be oxidized efficiently but growth is limited by the high sensitivity of the bacterium to oxygen. Acetate a...

A novel fluorescence technique for monitoring the redox status of c-type cytochromes in Geobacter sulfurreducens was developed in order to evaluate the capacity of these extracytoplasmic cytochromes to store electrons during periods in which an external electron acceptor is not available. When intact cells in which the cytochromes were in a reduced state were excited at a wavelength of 350 nm, ...

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a class of ideal technologies that function via anaerobic respiration of electricigens, which bring current generation and environmental restoration together. An in-depth understanding of microbial metabolism is of great importance in engineering microbes to further improve their respiration. We employed flux balance analysis and selected Fe(iii) as a substitute ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Bacteria capable of exocellular transfer of electrons to solid surfaces, called exoelectrogens, make it possible to obtain electricity from the breakdown of organic matter in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). We obtained several new exoelectrogenic bacteria during this project. We isolated Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1, and demonstrated for the first time that a pure culture could ...