Durgaprasad Madras Rajaraman Iyer

Mr. Durgaprasad Madras Rajaraman Iyer

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

15Years (2012-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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24 October 2012 in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
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PBPaolo Bombelli
Paolo Bombelli
Durgaprasad Madras Rajaraman IyerDurgaprasad Madras Rajaraman Iyer
Durgaprasad Madras Rajaraman Iyer
SCSarah Covshoff
Sarah Covshoff
Alistair McCormickAlistair McCormick
Alistair McCormick
KYKamran Yunus
Kamran Yunus
CHChristopher Howe
Christopher Howe

1 October 2016 in Royal Society Open Science
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PBPaolo Bombelli
Paolo Bombelli
RDRoss J. Dennis
Ross J. Dennis
FFFabienne Felder
Fabienne Felder
MCMatt B. Cooper
Matt B. Cooper
Durgaprasad Madras Rajaraman IyerDurgaprasad Madras Rajaraman Iyer
Durgaprasad Madras Rajaraman Iyer
CHChristopher Howe
Christopher Howe
Plant microbial fuel cells are a recently developed technology that exploits photosynthesis in vascular plants by harnessing solar energy and generating electrical power. In this study, the model moss species Physcomitrella patens , and other environmental samples of mosses, have been used to develop a non-vascular bryophyte microbial fuel cell (bryoMFC). A novel three-dimensional anodic matrix was successfully created and characterized and was further tested in a bryoMFC to determine the capacity of mosses to generate electrical power. The importance of anodophilic microorganisms in the bryoMFC was also determined. It was found that the non-sterile bryoMFCs operated with P. patens delivered over an order of magnitude higher peak power output (2.6 ± 0.6 µW m −2 ) than bryoMFCs kept in near-sterile conditions (0.2 ± 0.1 µW m −2 ). These results confirm the importance of the microbial populations for delivering electrons to the anode in a bryoMFC. When the bryoMFCs were operated with environmental samples of moss (non-sterile) the peak power output reached 6.7 ± 0.6 mW m −2 . The bryoMFCs operated with environmental samples of moss were able to power a commercial radio receiver or an environmental sensor (LCD desktop weather station).