Syntrophic Interspecies Electron Transfer (IET) has been observed in anoxic environments and mainly requires intermediates such as hydrogen or formate as electron carriers. However direct IET (DIET) is also possible and requires that electrons are transferred via membrane-bound proteins or conductive appendages. Engineering of multiple artificial syntrophies was attempted to study these concepts. Growth of cultures proved very difficult due to long establishment times and slow adaptation. Three artificial syntrophies were confirmed by growth curves, chemical analysis, and microscopic analysis. These included a tri-culture of Syntrophobacter wolinii, Methanobrevibacter smithii and Methanosaeta concilii, degrading propionate, bidirectional co cultures with Shewanella oneidensis and Methanosarcina barkeri first growing on lactate and secondly on acetate with hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) or a carbon anode. Bidirectional syntrophies indicated that syntrophic associations can extend beyond those systems observed and isolated to date. This work also focused on the possibilities of stimulating and enhancing DIET in environmental cultures. A number of hypotheses were tested, including the presence of proton carrying buffers and increase in salinity. Since direct electron transport requires cation/proton transport, the presence of buffers such as phosphate should enhance rates where DIET dominates. This was tested by varying initial conductivity (1.5mS/cm, X10, X30) and total phosphate: chloride ratios (1:0, 1:1, 2:1, 1:2 and 0:1), in a square factorial analysis, during propionic acid oxidation and ethanol oxidation, with crushed anaerobic granules as inoculum. Microbial communities were analysed through 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). With propionic acid oxidation, key microbial shifts with increasing salinity were from Syntrophomonas sp to Syntrophobacter sp and Candidatus Cloacamonas sp within bacteria and Methanobacterium sp to Methanolinea sp. Results suggested an indirect IET (IIET) system. With ethanol, there was a higher percentage of Geobacter sp, capable of DIET, and Methanosaeta sp, especially at 1:1 and X10 conductivity where the best rate was recorded. Low methane yield was observed at X30 conductivity, likely due to the reduction of ethanol to higher organic acids. In both assays, responses were better at 1:1 ratio, with the best kinetic values recorded at X10 conductivity. Acclimatisation with propionic acid at high conductivities (X30), over 6 months was also tested to reduce the impact of salt shock. New granules were acclimatised at 1:0, 1:1 and 0:1 ratio. Activity was low at ratio 1:0 but improved at 1:1. Complete oxidation with KCl only was attributed to emerging Comamonas sp as presumptive oxidiser.n