SoCoBio PhD student Liam Jones is happy to share his recent publication. In collaboration with DNV, this publication details work addressing a critical gap in understanding how biofilms interact with materials under real-world conditions, using a novel dual anaerobic biofilm reactor to explore the electrochemical behaviour of UNS G10180 carbon steel in biotic and abiotic artificial seawater environments.

Key findings:
✅ Electroactive bacteria, including sulphate-reducing and iron-reducing bacteria, play a crucial role in extracellular electron transfer (EET), a key mechanism influencing corrosion processes.
✅ Our innovative model, leveraging microbial consortia from marine littoral sediment, provides a robust and reproducible framework to study MIC under realistic conditions.

This research not only deepens understanding of MIC mechanisms but also highlights pathways for developing effective mitigation strategies to protect critical infrastructure.

Read the publication here: DOI: 10.1038/s41529-024-00542-x

Figure 1 | Surface profilometry of carbon steel at day 28.  Three-dimensional optical surface profilometry of the cleaned UNS G10180 surfaces at day 28. AR coupons for: (a) abiotic and (b) biotic conditions; and P coupons for: (c) abiotic and (d) biotic conditions, after exposure to anaerobic nutrient-enriched ASW media for 28 days.