TY - JOUR A1 - An, Biwen Annie A1 - Kleinbub, Sherin A1 - Özcan Sandikcioglu, Özlem A1 - Koerdt, Andrea T1 - Iron to Gas: Versatile Multiport Flow-Column Revealed Extremely High Corrosion Potential by Methanogen-Induced Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (Mi-MIC) N2 - Currently, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is regarded as the main culprit of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), mainly due to the low reported corrosion rates of other microorganisms. For example, the highest reported corrosion rate for methanogens is 0.065 mm/yr. However, by investigating methanogen-induced microbiologically influenced corrosion (Mi-MIC) using an in-house developed versatile multiport flow test column, extremely high corrosion rates were observed. We analyzed a large set of carbon steel beads, which were sectionally embedded into the test columns as substrates for iron-utilizing methanogen Methanobacterium IM1. After 14 days of operation using glass beads as fillers for section separation, the highest average corrosion rate of Methanobacterium IM1 was 0.2 mm/yr, which doubled that of Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5 and Desulfovibrio alaskensis 16109 investigated at the same conditions. At the most corroded region, nearly 80% of the beads lost 1% of their initial weight (fast-corrosion), resulting in an average corrosion rate of 0.2 mm/yr for Methanobacterium IM1-treated columns. When sand was used as filler material to mimic sediment conditions, average corrosion rates for Methanobacterium IM1 increased to 0.3 mm/yr (maximum 0.52 mm/yr) with over 83% of the beads having corrosion rates above 0.3 mm/yr. Scanning electron images of metal coupons extracted from the column showed methanogenic cells were clustered close to the metal surface. Methanobacterium IM1 is a hydrogenotrophic methanogen with higher affinity to metal than H2. Unlike SRB, Methanobacterium IM1 is not restricted to the availability of sulfate concentration in the environment. Thus, the use of the multiport flow column provided a new insight on the corrosion potential of methanogens, particularly in dynamic conditions, that offers new opportunities for monitoring and development of mitigation strategies. Overall, this study shows under certain conditions methanogenic archaea can cause higher corrosion than SRB, specific quantifications, i.e., maximum, average, and minimum corrosion rates can be determined, and that spatial statistical evaluations of MIC can be carried out. KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion KW - Methanogen KW - Methane KW - Biocorrosion KW - Flow system KW - Modeling KW - Multiport PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-506084 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00527 VL - 11 SP - Article 527 PB - Frontiers in microbiology AN - OPUS4-50608 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Koerdt, Andrea A1 - An, Biwen Annie A1 - Deland, Eric ED - Eibergen, N. ED - Poulassichidis, T. T1 - Novel Multiport Flow-Column Corrosion Monitoring System (MFC) Revealed High Corrosion Rates by Corrosive Methanogenic Archaea N2 - MFC was used to study the corrosiveness of iron-utilizing methanogen, Methanobacterium IM1 under flow conditions. Comparing against electrical SRM, Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5, results showed under standard mesophilic conditions, average corrosion rates of Methanobacterium IM1 was double that of SRM. The highest corrosion rate of Methanobacterium IM1 reached up to 0.60 mm/yr under neutral conditions, and severe pitting was observed on the iron surface. Furthermore, the corrosion products of Methanobacterium IM1 were characterized with TOF-SIM, FIB-SEM and EDX, and preliminary results revealed FeCO3 is not the only corrosion product of Mi-MIC, as previously reported. Under low pH conditions, the maximum corrosion rate of Methanobacterium IM1 reached 1.57 mm/yr, which resulted in severed deformity of the iron specimen. Additional comparisons using different types of incubation material were conducted to standardize MFC MIC testing. T2 - Corrosion 2021 CY - Online Meeting DA - 19.04.2021 KW - MIC KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion KW - Biocorrosion KW - Hi-Tension KW - Environmental condition KW - Flow Model KW - Modelling KW - Korrosion PY - 2021 UR - https://my.nace.org/PaperTrail/Authors/Submission.aspx?id=2b6387be-7390-ea11-813a-005056a95a7c SP - Paper C2021-16303, 1 AN - OPUS4-52480 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Knisz, J. A1 - Eckert, R. A1 - Gieg, L. A1 - Koerdt, Andrea A1 - Lee, J. A1 - Silva, E. A1 - Skovhus, T. L. A1 - An Stepec, Biwen Annie A1 - Wade, S. A. T1 - Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion - More than just Microorganisms N2 - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a phenomenon of increasing concern which affects various materials and sectors of society. MIC describes the effects, often negative, that a material can experience due to the presence of microorganisms. Unfortunately, although several research groups and industrial actors worldwide have already addressed MIC, discussions are fragmented, while information sharing and willingness to reach out to other disciplines is limited. A truly interdisciplinary approach, that would be logical for this material/biology/chemistry-related challenge, is rarely taken. In this review we highlight critical non-biological aspects of MIC that can sometimes be overlooked by microbiologists working on MIC but are highly relevant for an overall understanding of this phenomenon. Here, we identify gaps, methods and approaches to help solve MIC related challenges, with an emphasis on the MIC of metals. We also discuss the application of existing tools and approaches for managing MIC and propose ideas to promote an improved understanding of MIC. Furthermore, we highlight areas where the insights and expertise of microbiologists are needed to help progress this field. KW - MIC KW - Biodeterioration KW - Biocorrosion KW - Interdisciplinarity KW - Multiple lines of evidence PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuad041 SN - 0168-6445 VL - 47 IS - 5 SP - 1 EP - 70 PB - FEMS Microbiology Reviews AN - OPUS4-58066 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Braymer, Joseph T1 - Methanobacterium IM1 as a model organism to study MIC N2 - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), also known as biocorrosion, is a process where microbes corrode metal surfaces causing detrimental damage to manmade infrastructure. Several studies, mainly under anaerobic conditions, have identified sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens as key players in biocorrosion. However, an important issue is that most MIC-related microbes at the moment are non-culturable. In addition, improved technologies (i.e., omics, biochemical, and microscopy methods) are needed to study, detect, simulate, and modulate MIC-related cases. Therefore, the selection of strains that can cause MIC, are culturable, and are genetically accessible, are of high importance for establishing new methods to study MIC on the molecular level. For example, the archaeal strain Methanobacterium IM1 has caught great attention due to its involvement in biocorrosion processes. Genes encoding for a novel enzyme (MIC NiFe-hydrogenase) have been proposed in this methanogen to be directly related to the e T2 - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium 19 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 11.09.2024 KW - Biocorrosion KW - Methanogen KW - Iron KW - Hydrogenase KW - Mechanism PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61508 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ulbricht, Alexander T1 - Do Microbes like Additively Manufactured Aluminium? First Details of a Corrosion Test using Sulphate-Reducing Bacteria N2 - Additively manufactured metals become relevant for industrial application. Although many studies on wet corrosion of these metals have been conducted, to the authors knowledge no study seems to contain microbiological corrosion (MIC). In the presented study an experiment was conducted on PBF-LB/AlSi10Mg to test this material's susceptibility for MIC. The tested specimen were analysed using Computed Tomography before and after the MIC experiment to enable a detailed characterisation the damage on the specimens' global and local level. A global reduction of material was observed. In addition, localised damage along process inherent features of the materials microstructure was observed. T2 - Beiratssitzung TF Umwelt CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 17.03.2025 KW - Computed Tomography KW - Additive Manufacturing KW - Biocorrosion KW - Sulphate-reducing Bacteria KW - Microbially influenced corrosion PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62772 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Koerdt, Andrea T1 - Technical challenges for the investigation of Microbiologically influenced corrosion under laboratory conditions across several sectors N2 - Microbiologically influenced corrosion MIC occurs in different sectors, under various conditions and can significantly contribute to material degradation. The most convincing effect can be observed with sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). There are many stakeholders who do not need to be convinced of this as there is ample scientific evidence clearly showing that SRBs corrode metal. However, many believe this is solely due to the produced H2S. Fewer people are aware that SRBs also have other mechanisms that can lead to corrosion, such as electrical MIC on metal (direct electron uptake from the metal used as electron donor). Despite this, many sectors or industries remain skeptical in several areas. When considering other classes or species, the skepticism increases even more. The reason is simple: microbiologist cannot consistently prove MIC on laboratory scale for all corrosive microorganisms. In contrast to materials sciences, where experiments can be narrowed down to a limited number of parameters, microbiology is too complex to simulate simply in the lab. Several factors are mandatory for the growth of microorganisms, consequently increasing the number of parameters. Even when making the system more complex, there are still unknown species in the field, whose growth conditions are not yet understood. We know via 16S rRNA analysis that the species is present, but that is all we know. If these samples are enriched in the lab, many species will not survive and their impact on the whole community cannot be investigated. Therefore, lab tests related to MIC works only for a certain number of microorganisms. This means the key-result for other disciplines are missing, and important numbers for calculating the lifespan of a material can only be provided with limited accuracy. This is neither satisfying nor useful for engineers, material scientist or similar professionals, and it is understandable. However, MIC occurs, and we need to address it in our infrastructure or other important areas. With this presentation, I aim to show the currently available techniques for testing on a laboratory scale. I will use SRBs and methanogenic archaea as examples to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each method and point out where improvements are needed. The examples will be cross-sectoral and applicable to other sectors as well. This talk will highlight the currently existing challenges of testing MIC in the laboratory and may help generate creative solutions. T2 - MICxUS 2025 CY - Nicosia, Cyprus DA - 21.01.2025 KW - MIC KW - Biocorrosion KW - Laboratory testing KW - Interdisziplinarity KW - Microorganisms PY - 2025 UR - https://www.unic.ac.cy/ehresearch/micxus2025/#tab-98dc74f32bf3b8f95bd AN - OPUS4-63725 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kleinbub, Sherin A1 - Braymer, Joseph J A1 - Pfeiffer, Friedhelm A1 - Dyall-Smith, Mike A1 - Spirgath, Kristin A1 - Alfaro-Espinoza, Gabriela A1 - Koerdt, Andrea T1 - From Genes to Black Rust: Genomic insights into corrosive methanogens N2 - Within the past ten years, genetic evidence has been increasing for the direct role that microbes play in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), also known as biocorrosion or biodeterioration. One prominent example is the correlation between the corrosion of metal and the presence of genes encoding an extracellular [NiFe]-hydrogenase (MIC hydrogenase) in the methanogenic archaeon, Methanococcus maripaludis. In this study, DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were used to classify the MIC hydrogenase as belonging to a core set of genes, the MIC core, found so far in Methanococci and Methanobacteria classes of methanogens. Genetic evidence is provided for the mobilization of the MIC core via multiple mechanisms, including a horizontal gene transfer event from Methanobacteria to Methanococci and a newly described MIC-transposon. A detailed comparison of M. maripaludis genomes further pointed to the relevance that cell wall modifications involving N-glycosylation of S-layer proteins and the MIC hydrogenase likely play in methanogen-induced MIC (Mi-MIC). Microscopic analysis of corrosive methanogens encoding the MIC core indicated that Methanobacterium-affiliated strain IM1 can form extensive biofilms on the surface of corrosion products whereas individual cells of M. maripaludis Mic1c10 were only found localized to crevices in the corrosion layer. An updated model of Mi-MIC involving two modes of action is presented, which predicts that the propensity of cells to adhere to iron surfaces directly influences the rate of corrosion due to the localization of the MIC hydrogenase at the metal-microbe interface. KW - Biocorrosion KW - Hydrogenases KW - Metalloprotein KW - Microbes PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-649425 DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtaf018 SN - 2633-6685 VL - 6 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) AN - OPUS4-64942 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -