Role of Interspecies Electron Transfer for Boosting Methane Production by Anaerobic Digestion in Syntrophic Methanogenesis

Addition of conductive materials to anaerobic sludge systems is an attractive strategy to enhance anaerobic metabolism and methane production. The presence of direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) in microbial communities is commonly used to improve methane production, while the underlying mechanisms remain under debate. Though DIET has distinct advantages, the interspecies H2/formate transfer in syntrophic metabolism is believed to be the main electron transfer pathway. This chapter presents an overview on fundamental mechanisms on interspecies electron transfer and the boosting effect of some conductive materials in bioengineered system with a particular focus on the improvement in methane production.