Simple and inexpensive DNA extraction protocol for studying the bacterial composition of sludges used in microbial fuel cells.

Bacteria oxidize organic matter and nutrients to produce electric energy in microbial fuel cells (MFC) a technology of increasing importance because of its sustainability. To improve the performance of MFCs, it is necessary not only to gain a better understanding of MFC engineering designs, but also to improve the understanding of the composition of the microbial communities in MFCs. Fast and efficient DNA extraction protocols that are suitable for extracting diverse bacterial genomes are necessary to identify the bacterial diversity present in MFCs and to further monitor the dynamic changes of microbial communities. This study focused on testing different direct cell lysis protocols to extract DNA from a microbial sludge harvested