Interdisciplinary Research on Electrons and Biofilms

Abstract

Interdisciplinary research on electrons and biofilms is being carried out by Assistant Professor Dr Yoshihide Tokunou, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. His work is aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the role of electrons in bacterial society and exploring the process of bacterial extracellular electron transfer (EET) in biofilms. By combining microbiology and electrochemistry, Dr Tokunou is developing EET-based biotechnologies and improving our understanding of the physiological importance of EET in bacterial society. To achieve this, he is collaborating with various experts such as microbiologists, chemists, and engineers, including Professor Dr Nobuhiko Nomura. His current interest is in the EET process that terminates with soluble electron acceptors. By regulating the EET in biofilms respiring with oxygen, he is trying to control various biofilm-related phenomena such as host-bacteria interaction, antibiotic resistance of biofilms, biochemical production from biofilms, etc.