Many microorganisms found in the natural world have evolved systems for transferring electrons away from the cell surface. This electron transfer enables these bacteria to be used in bio-electrochemical systems like microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and microbial electrosynthesis (MES). Electroactive bacteria (EAB) are distinguished in these applications by their ability to transport electrons from the microbial cell to an electrode, or vice versa, in place of their natural redox partner. Overall, the use of electroactive organisms in BES opens up the possibility of developing efficient and sustainable processes for producing energy, bulk, and microcompounds. In this article, we compare and contrast the key microbiological characteristics of several EABs.

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