AccScience Publishing / GTI / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/GTI025360015
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REVIEW ARTICLE

Mechanistic insights of Cystobasidium slooffiae JSUX1: Yeast-derived microbial fuel cells and conversion of organic wastes to electricity

Jamile Mohammadi Moradian1 ,  Amjad Ali2 ,  Gang Pei1*
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1 Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
2 Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
GTI, 025360015 https://doi.org/10.36922/GTI025360015
Received: 4 September 2025 | Revised: 24 October 2025 | Accepted: 29 October 2025 | Published online: 12 November 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The pursuit of sustainable energy from abundant and renewable waste biomass has positioned microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a capable technology. While bacterial MFCs are widely studied, yeast-based MFCs offer advantages in safety, ease of handling, and broader substrate utilization. The recent discovery and characterization of the exoelectrogenic yeast Cystobasidium slooffiae JSUX1 have opened new avenues for direct biomass-to-energy conversion. This review synthesizes recent advancements in leveraging C. slooffiae JSUX1 for efficient electricity and hydrogen production from pentose sugars and raw lignocellulosic biomass. We delve into the unique extracellular electron transfer mechanisms employed by this strain, notably its secretion of riboflavin and the newly identified role of humic acid-iron complexes (Fe-HA) derived from biomass degradation. C. slooffiae JSUX1 MFCs achieved peak power densities up to ≈152 mW/m2 and hydrogen yields ≈41 L/m3 (with engineered anodes), roughly double the baseline values of 67 mW/m2 and 16 L/m3. We further analyze applied strategies for enhancing MFCs’ performance through anode engineering, including yeast-induced reduced graphene oxide hydrogels and polyaniline nanofiber anodes. These anode modifications significantly improved anode conductivity, microbial adhesion, and interfacial charge transfer, leading to a dramatic boost in simultaneous power and hydrogen output. This review consolidates the mechanistic understanding of C. slooffiae JSUX1 and situates it within broader yeast-MFC research trends, outlining its potential as a new biocatalyst for developing waste-valorizing bioelectrochemical systems.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Microbial fuel cells
Yeast
Cystobasidium slooffiae
Electricity
Biohydrogen
Extracellular electron transfer
Untreated lignocellulosic biomass
Xylose
Funding
This work was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI, 2026PVB0012) and the World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies (WSSET).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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