Based on molecular and microscopic studies, it is revealed that the formation of stratified biofilms

was comprised of surficial algal layers and basal bacterial layers. It has also been found that MSCs with
syntrophic binary cultures of a green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardti, and iron-reducing heterotrophic
bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens were able to achieve a power-conversion efficiency of 0.1%, in which
fermentative production of organic acids from starch was identified the bottleneck step in electricity
conversion (Nishio, et. al., 2013).

The importance of microbes (bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi) during composting is well
demonstrated. The microbes during composting may vary with the variety of composting materials and
nutrient supplements. It is necessary to study the diversity of microorganisms during composting of
different agricultural by products like wheat bran, rice bran, rice husk, along with grass clippings and
bulking agents (Chanda, et. al., 2010).

In their study, Lagier, et. al. (2014) found out that the first culture conditions empirically varied
incubation time, nutrients, atmosphere, and temperature. Bacterial culture was then gradually
abandoned in favor of molecular methods. The resurgence of bacterial culture in clinical microbiology was
prompted by microbiologists specializing in intracellular bacteria.

The most common type of microorganism found in composts is the Thermus bacteria.
Thermophilic bacteria take over if the compost heats up above 40° C. The microbes during this phase are
dominated by members of the genus Bacillus. The diversity of bacilli species is fairly high at temperatures
from 50-55°C but decreases dramatically at 60°C or above. When conditions become unfavorable, bacilli
survive by forming endospores, thick-walled spores that are highly resistant to heat, cold, dryness, or lack
of food. (Trautmann, et. al., 2014)

In a study by Light, et. al., (2018), the cell structure of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium found
in the human gut and the vitamin-rich ecological niche that they occupy makes it significantly easier and
more cost effective to transfer electrons out of the cell. The bacteria that cause digestive infections like
Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis, and some disease-causing streptococcus bacteria also
produce electricity. They stated that:

Bacteria generate electricity for the same reason we breathe oxygen: to remove
electrons produced during metabolism and support energy production. Whereas animals
and plants transfer their electrons to oxygen inside the mitochondria of every cell,
bacteria in environments with no oxygen —- including our gut, but also alcohol and
cheese fermentation vats and acidic mines —- have to find another electron acceptor. In
geologic environments, that has often been a mineral —- iron or manganese, for example
—- outside the cell. In some sense, these bacteria "breathe" iron or manganese.
References
Lagier, J., Edouard, S., Pagnier, I., & Mediannikov, O. (2015). Current and Past Strategies for Bacterial
Culture in Clinical Microbiology. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 28(1):208-36.

Light, S. (2018). Gut Bacteria's Shocking Secret: They Produce Electricity. Science Daily.

Nishio, K., Hashimoto, K., & Watanabe, K. (2013). Light/Electricity Conversion by Defined Co-Culture of
Chlamydomonas and Geobacter. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 115(4):412-7.

Sarkar, S., Banerjee , R., Chanda, S., Ganguly, S., & Pal, S. (2010). Effectiveness of Inoculation with
Isolated Geobacillus Strains in the Thermophilic Stage of Vegetable Waste Composting.
Bioresource Technology, 101:2892–2895.

Trautmann, N., & Olynciw, E. (2014). Compost Microorganisms. Cornell Composting Science and
Engineering, 1.