An undergraduate student focused on math and physics, Matthew “Matt” Kafker has a keen interest in diverse aspects of science. One research area of Matt Kafker is on microbial ecology, which maps bacteria colony behavior in various environments.
A recent study by Washington University researchers in St. Louis brought new insight into the molecular mechanism by which certain bacteria, not having mouths, fuel their bodies. A major issue for phototrophic microbes is that they have an outer layer that is both impermeable and nonconductive to electrodes and insoluble iron minerals.
The study revealed that Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1, a naturally occurring strain, builds a conduit through deca-heme cytochrome c, an iron-containing helper molecule. Processing the protein allows TIE-1 to accept electrons across the outer membrane. This extracellular electron uptake (EEU) strategy is critical in nutrient-scarce conditions, where survival is challenging.
The plan is now to utilize these EEU mechanisms as a biological marker in identifying other electricity-eating bacteria in natural habitats.
