RESUMO
Microbial fuel cell ( MFC ) is a type of energy device in which exoelectrogens are harnessed for directly converting the chemical energy of organic matter into electric energy. In addition to researches on the development of high-performance MFC, we have witnessed a rapid progress in the analytical application of MFCs. The MFC-based biosensors are simple and easy to operate, and they can also be used to monitor target online without external power sources, thus attracting more and more attention. Here, we summarize and discuss the progress on using MFCs for measuring biological oxygen demand ( BOD ) , volatile fatty acids, pollutant and toxic compounds, microbial activities and other substances. Furthermore, the design principle of MFC-based biosensors is clarified. The outlook and future prospect of MFC-based biosensors are also discussed in the end.