Meet The Microbiologist - The Scientists Behind The Microbiology

Gemma Reguera discusses her studies of Geobacter pili, which transfers electrons to iron oxide and other minerals, and can be used for new biotech applications. Host: Julie Wolf  Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Also available on the ASM Podcast Network app. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Geobacter sulferreducans, a bacterium that “breathes” rust, is the lab representative of the genus Geobacter that dump electrons onto rust. These specialized microbes use minerals like manganese oxide and iron oxide (also known as rust) for respiration in both terrestrial and aquatic sediments. Although many species are strict anaerobes, a few species can grow under microaerophilic conditions, in which the bacteria will respire the oxygen to eliminate its toxic effects on the cell. Iron oxide respiration relies on the Geobacter pili, a simple structure composed of a single peptide repeat. The pili concentrate on one side of the bacterial cell, where they connect the cell with the i