Microbial degradation of cellulose extracted from wheat bran for bioelectricity production using microbial fuel cell

A successful agro-waste management system may recover energy and stabilize waste, among other benefits. The purpose of this research was to analyze the microbiological decomposition of cellulose that has been alkaline extracted and bleached from wheat bran byproducts. The waste lignin stream was used to synthesize biochar for anode modification. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that O-H and C-H functional groups predominated in extracted cellulose, whereas scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman microscopy characterized lignin-derived biochar and cellulose. Pantoea dispersa, isolated from cow dung, was identified as a cellulose-degrading bacteria using 16 S rRNA sequencing. Cellulose-degrading efficiency was measured by hydrolysis zone size around bacterial colonies. To facilitate cellulose breakdown and sustained power production in a microbial fuel cell, the cellulose-degrading bacteria were co-cultured with the Pseudomonas aeruginosastrain at a 1:1 ratio. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, power density, and current density have been investigated under ideal conditions. At a substrate concentration of 2.5 gm/L and internal resistance of 69.5Ω, a modified anode achieved the maximum power density of 9.1 W/m3. Using agro-waste for waste-to-energy is a step toward a circular bioeconomy.