Quentin Taylor
MIT Department: Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Ariel Furst
Research Supervisor: Alec Agee
Undergraduate Institution: Howard University
Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
Website: LinkedIn
Biography
Quentin Taylor is a junior at Howard University and a Karsh STEM Scholar. He is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics, in hopes of one day obtaining a doctorate in Chemical Engineering. With a deep passion for material sciences, he hopes to find various ways of applying materials for clean and efficient energy storage. Quentin has previous research experience with 2D nanomaterial exploration to maximize their punch storage capabilities. While at MIT, his project involved optimizing a novel biosensor platform using electroactive microbes. Outside the lab, Quentin likes to engage with research by serving on the executive board of Howard’s Undergraduate Research Journal, aiming to increase research participation amongst underrepresented groups. In his free time, he enjoys singing with Howard University’s Community Choir and spreading joy in his community.
Abstract
Optimization of a Microbial Electrochemical System Testing Platform
Quentin Taylor1, Alec Agee2 and Ariel Furst2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University
2Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) are devices that rely on the metabolic activities of
microorganisms to generate current. MESs are of particular interest in biosensing technologies as microorganisms can sense vital nutrients in soils that traditional sensors are unable to. However, MES biosensors have irregular and low electrical output which limit sensing applications. One cause of irregularities is the free-floating nature of microbes suspended in the solution of microbial fuel cells as microbes drift further away from the electrode. This project explores the solution of fixing microbes near the working electrode of a microbial fuel cell. This was performed by mixing a gel solution with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 culture and injecting the “bio-gel” mixture onto the electrode. MR-1 is a highly reported bacteria that can be genetically modified to sense a wide array of species. This project seeks to find the optimal gel volume of gel that maximizes the number of microbes close enough to the electrode for electron transfer without minimizing substrate transport or causing cell suffocation. This project makes significant steps in creating sensors for agriculturally relevant nutrients that will aid in increasing crop yield and addressing food insecurity.
