The discovery of direct extracellular electron transfer offers an alternative to the traditional understanding of diffusional electron exchange via small molecules. The establishment of electronic connections between electron donors and acceptors in microbial communities is critical to electron transfer via electrical currents. These connections are facilitated through conductivity associated with various microbial aggregates. However, examination of conductivity in microbial samples is still in its relative infancy and conceptual models in terms of conductive mechanisms are still being developed and debated. The present review summarizes the fundamental understanding of electrical conductivity in microbial aggregates (e.g. biofilms, granules, consortia, and multicellular filaments) highlighting recent findings and key discoveries. A greater understanding of electrical conductivity in microbial aggregates could facilitate the survey for additional microbial communities that rely on direct extracellular electron transfer for survival, inform rational design towards the aggregates-based production of bioenergy/bioproducts, and inspire the construction of new synthetic conductive polymers.

直接细胞外电子转移的发现为传统的小分子扩散电子交换的理解提供了一种替代方法。微生物群落中电子供体和受体之间的电子连接的建立对于通过电流进行电子转移至关重要。这些连接通过与各种微生物聚集体相关的电导率来促进。然而，微生物样品中电导率的检查仍处于起步阶段，关于电导机理的概念模型仍在开发和辩论中。本综述总结了微生物聚集体（例如生物膜，颗粒，聚生体和多细胞细丝）中的电导率的基本理解，重点介绍了最近的发现和关键发现。