Bioaugmentation with Electroactive Microbes—A Promising Strategy for Improving Process Performances of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies

Microbial electrochemical technologies (METs), such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), show promise for sustainable energy generation from biomass waste and wastewater. However, further work is necessary for their practical use. In particular, it has been argued that process performances, such as those for organics removal and energy generation, should be substantially improved to catch up with those of existing processes, such as anaerobic digesters. Recent work has reported that bioaugmentation (BA) with electroactive microbes (EAMs) can significantly improve the performance of MFCs and MECs, while previous reports have also documented BA cases with limited impacts. In this article, after summarizing EAMs that have been isolated and characterized as possible BA agents, we comparatively analyze past BA trials for MET processes. Based on the information thus obtained, key factors that should be considered for successful BA are suggested.