Microbial Fuel Cell: Can it work with E Coli Bacteria?

[OmaAnni]

Hi i'm a Grad Student in Digital Media. For my masters project, i want to create a microbial fuel cell and produce energy for some kind of machine that should work by a DC motor. ..There are lots of tutorials on the internet concerning microbial fuel cells working on organic matter such as soil or plants as the cell's core material. But i want to create a microbial fuel cell, using E coli bacteria. I know that there have been studys to create microbial fuel cells using waste water, but nothing really detailed about it how it works. So far i know that e coli does not do any photosynthesis, because it is an anaerobic bacteria. Therefore i was looking for what kind of nutritions E coli bacteria is using and how it is transforming it in its metabolism.

Although it is an anaerobic Bacteria, it can use aerobic as well as anaerobic electron transporting systems to meet its energy needs. 

My questions therefore:
Does E coli do aerobic or anaerobic Glycolysis?

When E choli bacteria is transforming Glucose (nutrition) within its metabolism, are there any Electrons released during that process, which can be used for collecting with an anode? Or is it H+ Protons that are being released? If H+ Protons are released during the metabolism, can these H+ Protons be used to create a current with a cathode and a corresponding anode?

There is a tutorial on how to create a microbial fuel cell using soil. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iMw7-GIJFE) It is not using any saltbridges for electron exchanges and it is working totally fine.

If the Glucose metabolism from the E coli bacteria is producing H+ Protons and Protons can be derived through the provided cathode, is there any proton exchange membrane needed or would it produce a current just find without any proton exchange membranes?

I would really appreciate some thoughts on it, cause right now, i am kind of stuck. If you do have any idea about it or at least some kind of thought you would like to share, i would be more than grateful.

Edited December 10, 2017 by OmaAnni

[BabcockHall]

I am no bacteriologist, but I seem to recall that E. coli is a facultative anaerobe and can function both aerobically and anaerobically.