A seminar by Dr. Frédéric Barrière in Galway and Dublin

As part of his Ulysses scheme with Dr. Paula Colavita (Trinity College Dublin), Frédéric Barrière (University Rennes 1) will be giving a seminar on "Bacteria at Modified Electrodes as Living Catalysts in Microbial Fuel Cells" in the Chemistry Department of NUI Galway on 9th December and in the School of Chemistry (Trinity College Dublin) on Thursday 15th December.

Abstract
The reductionist biomimetic synthesis of active sites of enzymes often fails to produce simple artificial catalysts that compete with the performance and selectivity of enzymes.1 The direct use of extracted and isolated enzymes at electrodes is possible but suffer from poor catalytic stability in time.2 This paper will discuss the use of living micro-organisms at electrodes as catalysts in fuel cells (SEM micrograph figure left).2 We will address the underlying metabolic mechanisms for exo-cellular electron transfer at anodes3,4 (e.g. oxidation of acetate, figure center) and at cathodes5,6 (reduction of dioxygen, figure right). One of our interests in the field of bioelectrochemical systems is the tailoring of the microbial-electrode interface through surface grafting in order to improve the development of electroactive biofilm and its electrical connection.3,4 Several examples of surface modification involving electrostatic or more specific interactions will be presented. Perspectives in energy conversion such as microbial fuel cells will be put forward.7

Biography
 PhD 1999 University of Brest (France) under Dr. Jean Talarmin (Brest) and Pr. Chris Pickett (Brignthon and Norwich, UK) on the Stuctural, Functional and Theoretical Modeling of the active site of Nitrogenase
 Post-Doc 1999-2001 University of Vermont (USA) with Pr. Bill Geiger on the use of perfluoroarylborate-based salts as supporting electrolytes in organometallic chemistry
 Post-Doc 1001-2002 University of Galway (Ireland) with Donal Leech on the developement of enzymatic biofuel cells
 2002 Assistant professor at the University of Rennes (France)
 2009 Habilitation. Electron transfer at the molecular, enzymatic and cellular level

1 F. Barrière, in Bioinspired Catalysis: Metal-Sulfur Complexes, Eds.: P. Schollhammer & W. Wiegand,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Chapter 9, p. 225-248 (2014).
2 L. Lapinsonnière, M. Picot, F. Barrière, ChemSusChem, 2012, 5, 995-1005.
3 M. Picot, L. Lapinsonnière, M. Rothballer, F. Barrière, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 2011, 28, 181-188.
4 L. Lapinsonnière, M. Picot, C. Poriel, F. Barrière, Electroanalysis, 2013, 25, 601-605.
5 D. P. B. T. B. Strik, M. Picot, C. J. N. Buisman, F. Barrière, Electroanalysis, 2013, 25, 652-655.
6 M. Rothballer, M. Picot, T. Sieper, J. B. A. Arends, M. Schmid, A. Hartmann, N. Boon, C. J. N. Buisman, F. Barrière, D. P. B. T. B. Strik, Bioelectrochemistry, 2015, 106, 167-176.
7 Y. R. J. Thomas, M. Picot, A. Carer, O. Berder., O Sientieys, F. Barrière, Journal of Power Sources, 2013, 241, 703-708.