Electrotroph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An electrotroph is a microorganism which can receive electrons necessary for its growth from an electrode (power supply) terminal or other electron donors.[1]
The chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, that lives in ocean thermal vents, has been shown to exhibit electrotrophic behavior in experiments.[2] In particular, it switches the electron source for carbon assimilation from diffusible Fe2+
ions to an electrode under the condition that electrical current is the only source of energy and electrons.[3]
