Open Access

Das Ziel dieses Projekts ist die Entwicklung und Charakterisierung einer mikrobiellen Brennstoffzelle (MBZ). Die MBZ unterscheidet sich von einer herkömmlichen Brennstoffzelle darin, dass die an der Anode erzeugten Elektronen nicht vom molekularen Wasserstoff, sondern direkt von der im Anodenkompartiment wachsenden Biomasse aus organischen Verbindungen stammen. Die Funktionsweise einer solchen Zelle ist in Abbildung 3.4-1 dargestellt. Im Gegensatz zur herkömmlichen Brennstoffzelle können in einer MBZ auch Abwasserteilströme z. B. aus der Lebensmittelindustrie als Substrat eingesetzt werden. Der große Vorteil der MBZ besteht somit darin, dass Abwässer biologisch abgebaut und gleichzeitig elektrischer Strom erzeugt werden kann.

In contrast to a conventional fuel cell the electrons in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) originate from the metabolic conversion of organic substrates by special bacteria instead of using molecular hydrogen. Recent research in our group has shown that the maximum electrical power density in a MFC correlates with the biomass concentration in batch MFC experiments. In continuous MFC systems additionally the dilution rate D could have an effect on the specific power density. Therefore two steady state conditions are adjusted and the resulting specific power densities, and the biomass and substrate concentrations were measured. These results were implemented in a mathematical description of the continuous MFC-process and the visualization of the model is presented.

Tryptamines can occur naturally in plants, mushrooms, microbes, and amphibians. Synthetic tryptamines are sold as new psychoactive substances (NPS) because of their hallucinogenic effects. When it comes to NPS, metabolism studies are of crucial importance, due to the lack of pharmacological and toxicological data. Different approaches can be taken to study in vitro and in vivo metabolism of xenobiotica. The zygomycete fungus Cunninghamella elegans (C. elegans) can be used as a microbial model for the study of drug metabolism. The current study investigated the biotransformation of four naturally occurring and synthetic tryptamines [N,N‐Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 4‐hydroxy‐N‐methyl‐N‐ethyltryptamine (4‐HO‐MET), N,N‐di allyl‐5‐methoxy tryptamine (5‐MeO‐DALT) and 5‐methoxy‐N‐methyl‐N‐isoporpoyltryptamine (5‐MeO‐MiPT)] in C. elegans after incubation for 72 hours. Metabolites were identified using liquid chromatography–high resolution–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–HR–MS/MS) with a quadrupole time‐of‐flight (QqTOF) instrument. Results were compared to already published data on these substances. C. elegans was capable of producing all major biotransformation steps: hydroxylation, N‐oxide formation, carboxylation, deamination, and demethylation. On average 63% of phase I metabolites found in the literature could also be detected in C. elegans. Additionally, metabolites specific for C. elegans were identified. Therefore, C. elegans is a suitable complementary model to other in vitro or in vivo methods to study the metabolism of naturally occurring or synthetic tryptamines.