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Biocorrosion
Sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfopila corrodens strain IS4) in their extracellular polymeric substance on an iron substrate causing anaerobic microbially influenced corrosion.

Biocorrosion

Corrosion of iron that arises in anoxic environments is predominantly ascribed to anaerobic microbially influenced corrosion (MIC), with marine sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) being the major contributors [1]. Anaerobic MIC causes serious damages in the oil and gas industry, thus assessing and monitoring of corrosion problems and also elucidating the yet still unresolved corrosion mechanism is of great importance. In close cooperation with the Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen we work on quantifying corrosion rates in-situ and gaining a more detailed insight into the fundamental electron transfer mechanism at the electrode/bacteria interface [2]. Therefore SRB strains with high corrosion activities in comparison to other well investigated strains [3] are studied in a multidisciplinary approach utilizing electrochemical techniques, surface analytics and molecular biological methods.

[1]Enning, D., Venzlaff, H., Garrelfs, J., Dinh, H.T., Meyer, V., Mayrhofer, K., Hassel, A.W., Stratmann, M., Widdel, F., 2012. Marine sulfate-reducing bacteria cause serious corrosion of iron under electroconductive biogenic mineral crust. Environmental Microbiology 14, 1772–1787.

[2]Venzlaff, H., Enning, D., Srinivasan, J., Mayrhofer, K.J.J., Hassel, A.W., Widdel, F., Stratmann, M., 2012. Accelerated cathodic reaction in microbial corrosion of iron due to direct electron uptake by sulphate-reducing bacteria. Corrosion Science.

[3]Dinh, H.T., Kuever, J., Mußmann, M., Hassel, A.W., Stratmann, M., Widdel, F., 2004. Iron corrosion by novel anaerobic microorganisms. Nature 427, 829–832.