The main objective of this project is to elucidate the role of conducting materials (CM) in the transfer of electrons in anaerobic biological processes, studying the mechanisms of electron transfer in methanogenic consortia in the presence of CM. With a multitasking approach and in sequential steps we will 1) synthesize materials with acidic functional groups (eg, carboxyl, phenol, hydroxyl) and basic groups (eg, amine, methyl), necessary to find the most important factor/property in improving the production of CH4; 2) carry out batch incubations with pure methanogenic cultures and synthetic syntrophic cocultures, in the presence of commercial and functionalized CM, but also expanded (non-conductive) glass, to clarify the effects of these materials on the activity of different trophic groups, as well as about syntrophic interactions; 3) study the feasibility of treating real WWTP sludge (samples from SIMDOURO and/or Águas do Norte) operating a sequential anaerobic reactor with and without CM, to quantify the impact of CM in the production of biogas; and 4) evaluate the physiological and metabolic changes in pure cultures of methanogenic microorganisms, syntrophic cocultures and complex communities incubated with CM by (meta)genomic and (meta)transcriptomic analyses. |