PhD Studentship: Microbial Fuel Cell-based Biosensors for Water Quality Monitoring

The Centre for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research (CFCHR, https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/chemical-engineering/energy-chemical/fuel-cells) is offering a project as part of the BBSRC MIBTP on microbiology, fuel cells and sensors that underlies sustainable development and clean growth. The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership is a BBSRC-funded doctoral training partnership between the universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Leicester, Aston, Harper Adams and Coventry recruiting students for four-year studentships starting in Oct 2025. The PhD student will undertake a year of structured training during the PhD study.

Project details:

Accurate and quick detection of toxic compounds and other contaminants and their quantification has posed a serious challenge in the field of environmental and clinical monitoring. Although classical analytical methods with sophisticated instrumentations yield good results in lab environment, their applicability and efficiency in real-time analysis at remote locations are doubtful. As a solution for this, microbial fuel cell (MFC)-based biosensors have gained considerable attention in recent years because of their advantages of on-site testing at remote locations without the need of external power supplies. However, MFC biosensors still encounter several bottlenecks in their practical application and scale-up. Among the main drawbacks, the limitation of electron transfer between microorganism and electrodes is considered as most challenging. It is a key aspect in the improvement of MFC performance. In order for MFC biosensors to be fully realised for wastewater quality monitoring, enhanced electron transfer is urgently required to fabricate biocatalyst electrodes with excellent stability, sensitivity, repeatability and selectivity.

Based on an interdisciplinary collaboration established between the Centre for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research and the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham, this PhD project aims to develop highly sensitive and reliable MFC biosensors for toxicity detection in waste water quality monitoring. To achieve this, we will focus on the following three objectives:

• To evaluate detection efficiency of potent candidate microbes on toxicants (e.g. formaldehyde and heavy metals). This will be done via analysing microbialgrowth rate, generation time and high-throughput screening of potent biocatalysts.
• To elucidate effects of microbialadhesion properties within MFC electrodes by monitoringbiofilm formation on various substrates including graphite felt, stainless steel and Ni metal meshes, and novel 3D ordered substrates from 1D nanostructure arrays recently developed in PI's group. Distribution and adhesion of microbes on substrate surface within the electrodes will be analysed.
• To evaluate and establish structure-sensing property relationships of the obtained biocatalyst electrodes in MFCs. The biocatalyst electrodes will be evaluated as both cathodes and anodes in single chamber MFCs, using different measurement techniques to define their sensitivity and reliability.

Funding notes:

This studentship is open to both UK and international studetns, but is not guaranteed for this project. It is awarded as part of a competition between students as part of the Renewable Resources and Clean Growth theme of the BBSRC MIBTP scheme. You can find more details at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mibtp.

References:

1. J. Chouler, et al. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 2018, 102: 49-56, doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2017.11.018.
2. P. Mardle, et al. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 2020, 260: 118031, doi: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2019.118031

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