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An ordered and fail‐safe electrical network in cable bacteria
Thiruvallur Eachambadi, R.; Bonné, R.; Cornelissen, R.; Hidalgo-Martinez, S.; Vangronsveld, J.; Meysman, F.J.R.; Valcke, R.; Cleuren, B.; Manca, J.V. (2020). An ordered and fail‐safe electrical network in cable bacteria. Advanced Biosystems 4(7): 2000006. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adbi.202000006
In: Advanced Biosystems. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH : Weinheim. e-ISSN 2366-7478
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Non-open access 357732 [ request ]
Keywords
    Marine/Coastal; Fresh water
Authors  Top 
  • Thiruvallur Eachambadi, R.
  • Bonné, R.
  • Cornelissen, R.
  • Hidalgo-Martinez, S.
  • Vangronsveld, J.
  • Meysman, F.J.R.
  • Valcke, R.
  • Cleuren, B.
  • Manca, J.V.
Abstract
    Cable bacteria are an emerging class of electroactive organisms that sustain unprecedented long‐range electron transport across centimeter‐scale distances. The local pathways of the electrical currents in these filamentous microorganisms remain unresolved. Here, the electrical circuitry in a single cable bacterium is visualized with nanoscopic resolution using conductive atomic force microscopy. Combined with perturbation experiments, it is demonstrated that electrical currents are conveyed through a parallel network of conductive fibers embedded in the cell envelope, which are electrically interconnected between adjacent cells. This structural organization provides a fail‐safe electrical network for long‐distance electron transport in these filamentous microorganisms. The observed electrical circuit architecture is unique in biology and can inspire future technological applications in bioelectronics.
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