1
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Qi X, Liu X, Gu Y, Liang P. Whole-cell biophotovoltaic systems for renewable energy generation: A systematic analysis of existing knowledge. Bioelectrochemistry 2024; 158:108695. [PMID: 38531227 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The development of carbon-neutral fuel sources is an essential step in addressing the global fossil energy crisis. Whole-cell biophotovoltaic systems (BPVs) are a renewable, non-polluting energy-generating device that utilizes oxygenic photosynthetic microbes (OPMs) to split water molecules and generate bioelectricity under the driving of light energy. Since 2006, BPVs have been widely studied, with the order magnitudes of power density increasing from 10-4 mW/m2 to 103 mW/m2. This review examines the extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanisms and regulation techniques of BPVs from biofilm to external environment. It is found that the EET of OPMs is mainly mediated by membrane proteins, with terminal oxidase limiting the power output. Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Chlorella vulgaris are two species that produce high power density in BPVs. The use of metal nanoparticles mixing, 3D pillar array electrodes, microfluidic technology, and transient-state operation models can significantly enhance power density. Challenges and potential research directions are discussed, including a deeper analysis of EET mechanisms and dynamics, the development of modular devices, integration of multiple regulatory components, and the exploration of novel BPV technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Qi
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Xinning Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Yuyi Gu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Peng Liang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
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2
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Zhu H, Cabrerizo FM, Li J, He T, Li Y. Rewiring Photosynthesis by Water-Soluble Fullerene Derivatives for Solar-Powered Electricity Generation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2310245. [PMID: 38647389 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202310245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Natural photosynthesis holds great potential to generate clean electricity from solar energy. In order to utilize this process for power generation, it is necessary to rewire photosynthetic electron transport chains (PETCs) of living photosynthetic organisms to redirect more electron flux toward an extracellular electrode. In this study, a semi-artificial rewiring strategy, which use a water-soluble fullerene derivative to capture electrons from PETCs and donate them for electrical current generation, is proposed. A positively charged fullerene derivative, functionalized with N,N-dimethyl pyrrolidinium iodide, is found to be efficiently taken up by the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The distribution of this fullerene derivative near the thylakoid membrane, as well as site-specific inhibitor assays and transient absorption spectroscopy, suggest that it can directly interact with the redox centers in the PETCs, particularly the acceptor side of photosystem I (PSI). The internalized fullerene derivatives facilitate the extraction of photosynthetic electrons and significantly enhance the photocurrent density of Synechocystis by approximately tenfold. This work opens up new possibility for the application of fullerenes as an excellent 3D electron carrier in living biophotovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huawei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Franco M Cabrerizo
- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, CC 164 (B7130IWA), Chascomús, CP7130, Argentina
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Tao He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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3
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Tee JY, Ng FL, Keng FSL, Lee CW, Zhang B, Lin S, Gnana kumar G, Phang SM. Green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide by using tropical microalgae and its application in biophotovoltaic devices. iScience 2024; 27:109564. [PMID: 38617563 PMCID: PMC11015452 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The successful commercialization of algal biophotovoltaics (BPV) technology hinges upon a multifaceted approach, encompassing factors such as the development of a cost-efficient and highly conductive anode material. To address this issue, we developed an environmentally benign method of producing reduced graphene oxide (rGO), using concentrated Chlorella sp. UMACC 313 suspensions as the reducing agent. The produced rGO was subsequently coated on the carbon paper (rGO-CP) and used as the BPV device's anode. As a result, maximum power density was increased by 950% for Chlorella sp. UMACC 258 (0.210 mW m-2) and 781% for Synechococcus sp. UMACC 371 (0.555 mW m-2) compared to bare CP. The improved microalgae adhesion to the anode and improved electrical conductivity of rGO brought on by the effective removal of oxygen functional groups may be the causes of this. This study has demonstrated how microalgal-reduced GO may improve the efficiency of algal BPV for producing bioelectricity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Ye Tee
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Fong-Lee Ng
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Fiona Seh-Lin Keng
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Choon-Weng Lee
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Bingqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Shiwei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - G. Gnana kumar
- Department of Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Siew-Moi Phang
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Jalan Puncak Menara Gading, Taman Connaught, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
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4
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Buyukharman M, Mulazimoglu IE, Yildiz HB. Construction of a Conductive Polymer/AuNP/Cyanobacteria-Based Biophotovoltaic Cell Harnessing Solar Energy to Generate Electricity via Photosynthesis and Its Usage as a Photoelectrochemical Pesticide Biosensor: Atrazine as a Case Study. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:16249-16261. [PMID: 38617620 PMCID: PMC11007689 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c10308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
In this research, a cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbia sp.)-based biological photovoltaic cell (BPV) was designed. This clean energy-friendly BPV produced a photocurrent as a result of illuminating the photoanode and cathode electrodes immersed in the aqueous medium with solar energy. For this purpose, both electrodes were first coated with conductive polymers with aniline functional groups on the gold electrodes. In the cell, the photoanode was first coated with a gold-modified poly 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzamine polymer, P(SNS-Aniline). Thioaniline-functionalized gold nanoparticles were used to provide a cross-link formation with bis-aniline conductive bonds with the conductive polymer using electrochemical techniques. Leptolyngbia sp., one of the cyanobacteria that can convert light energy into chemical energy, was attached to this layered electrode surface. The cathode of the cell was attached to the gold electrode surface with P(SNS-Aniline). Then, the bilirubin oxidase (BOx) enzyme was immobilized on this film surface with glutaraldehyde activation. This cell, which can use light, thanks to cyanobacteria, oxidized and split water, and oxygen was obtained at the photoanode electrode. At the cathode electrode, the oxygen gas was reduced to water by the bioelectrocatalytic method. To obtain a high photocurrent from the BPV, necessary optimizations were made during the design of the system to increase electron transport and strengthen its transfer. While the photocurrent value obtained with the designed BPV in optimum conditions and in the pseudosteady state was 10 mA/m2, the maximum power value obtained was 46.5 mW/m2. In addition to storing the light energy of the system, studies have been carried out on this system as a pesticide biosensor. Atrazine biosensing via the BPV system was analytically characterized between 0.1 and 1.2 μM concentrations for atrazine, and a very low detection limit was found as 0.024 μM. In addition, response time and recovery studies related to pesticide biosensor properties of the BPV were also investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Buyukharman
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, TR-34134 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Ender Mulazimoglu
- Department of Chemistry, Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, TR-42090 Konya, Turkey
| | - Huseyin Bekir Yildiz
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Architecture and Design, Bartin University, TR-74100 Bartin, Turkey
- Photo-Electrochemical Systems and Materials Research Group, The Central Research Laboratory-Research and Application Center, Bartin University, TR-74100 Bartin, Turkey
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5
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Petrova NZ, Tóth TN, Shetty P, Maróti G, Tóth SZ. Enhancing biophotovoltaic efficiency: Study on a highly productive green algal strain Parachlorella kessleri MACC-38. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 394:130206. [PMID: 38122998 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Biophotovoltaic (BPV) devices are a potential decentralized and environmentally friendly energy source that harness solar energy through photosynthesis. BPV devices are self-regenerating, promising long-term usability. A practical strategy for enhancing BPV performance is to systematically screen for highly exoelectrogenic algal strains capable of generating large electric current density. In this study, a previously uncharacterized green algal strain - Parachlorella kessleri MACC-38 was found to generate over 340 µA mg-1 Chl cm-2. This output is approximately ten-fold higher than those of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella species. The current production of MACC-38 primarily originates from photosynthesis, and the strain maintains its physiological integrity throughout the process. MACC-38 exhibits unique traits such as low extracellular O2 and Fe(III) reduction, substantial copper (II) reduction, and significant extracellular acidification during current generation, contributing to its high productivity. The exoelectrogenic and growth characteristics of MACC-38 suggest that it could markedly boost BPV efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nia Z Petrova
- Institute of Plant Biology, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Tünde N Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Prateek Shetty
- Institute of Plant Biology, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Gergely Maróti
- Institute of Plant Biology, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Szilvia Z Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
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6
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Greenman J, Thorn R, Willey N, Ieropoulos I. Energy harvesting from plants using hybrid microbial fuel cells; potential applications and future exploitation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1276176. [PMID: 38357705 PMCID: PMC10865378 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1276176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) can be fuelled using biomass derived from dead plant material and can operate on plant produced chemicals such as sugars, carbohydrates, polysaccharides and cellulose, as well as being "fed" on a regular diet of primary biomass from plants or algae. An even closer relationship can exist if algae (e.g., prokaryotic microalgae or eukaryotic and unicellular algae) can colonise the open to air cathode chambers of MFCs driving photosynthesis, producing a high redox gradient due to the oxygenic phase of collective algal cells. The hybrid system is symbiotic; the conditions within the cathodic chamber favour the growth of microalgae whilst the increased redox and production of oxygen by the algae, favour a more powerful cathode giving a higher maximum voltage and power to the photo-microbial fuel cell, which can ultimately be harvested for a range of end-user applications. MFCs can utilise a wide range of plant derived materials including detritus, plant composts, rhizodeposits, root exudates, dead or dying macro- or microalgae, via Soil-based Microbial Fuel Cells, Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells, Plant-based microbial fuel cells, floating artificial islands and constructed artificial wetlands. This review provides a perspective on this aspect of the technology as yet another attribute of the benevolent Bioelectrochemical Systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Greenman
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Thorn
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Willey
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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7
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Ge-Zhang S, Cai T, Song M. Life in biophotovoltaics systems. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1151131. [PMID: 37615025 PMCID: PMC10444202 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1151131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
As the most suitable potential clean energy power generation technology, biophotovoltaics (BPV) not only inherits the advantages of traditional photovoltaics, such as safety, reliability and no noise, but also solves the disadvantages of high pollution and high energy consumption in the manufacturing process, providing new functions of self-repair and natural degradation. The basic idea of BPV is to collect light energy and generate electric energy by using photosynthetic autotrophs or their parts, and the core is how these biological materials can quickly and low-loss transfer electrons to the anode through mediators after absorbing light energy and generating electrons. In this mini-review, we summarized the biological materials widely used in BPV at present, mainly cyanobacteria, green algae, biological combinations (using multiple microorganisms in the same BPV system) and isolated products (purified thylakoids, chloroplasts, photosystem I, photosystem II), introduced how researchers overcome the shortcomings of low photocurrent output of BPV, pointed out the limitations that affected the development of BPV' biological materials, and put forward reasonable assumptions accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Taoyang Cai
- Aulin College, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Mingbo Song
- College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
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8
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Beauzamy L, Longatte G, Guille-Collignon M, Lemaître F. Investigation of quinone reduction by microalgae using fluorescence - do "lake" and "puddle" mechanisms matter? Bioelectrochemistry 2023; 152:108454. [PMID: 37172391 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a fundamental process used by Nature to convert solar energy into chemical energy. For the last twenty years, many solutions have been explored to provide electrical power from the photosynthetic chain. In this context, the coupling between microalgae and exogenous quinones is an encouraging strategy because of the capability of quinones to be reduced by the photosynthetic chain. The ability of a quinone to be a good or bad electron acceptor can be evaluated by fluorescence measurements. Fluorescence analyses are thus a convenient tool helping to define a diverting parameter for some quinones. However, this parameter is implicitly designed on the basis of a particular light capture mechanism by algae. In this paper, we propose to revisit previous fluorescence experimental data by considering the two possible mechanisms (lake vs. puddle) and discussing their implication on the conclusions of the analysis. In particular, we show that the maximum extraction efficiency depends on the mechanism (in the case of 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone - 2,6-DCBQ, (0.45 ± 0.02) vs (0.61 ± 0.03) for lake and puddle mechanisms respectively) but that the trends for different quinones remain correlated to the redox potentials independently of the mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léna Beauzamy
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France; Laboratory of Membrane and Molecular Physiology at IBPC, UMR 7141, CNRS/Sorbonne Université, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Longatte
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP, ISM, UMR CNRS 5255, Pessac 33607, France(2)
| | - Manon Guille-Collignon
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Lemaître
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.
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9
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Zhu H, Wang H, Zhang Y, Li Y. Biophotovoltaics: Recent advances and perspectives. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 64:108101. [PMID: 36681132 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Biophotovoltaics (BPV) is a clean power generation technology that uses self-renewing photosynthetic microorganisms to capture solar energy and generate electrical current. Although the internal quantum efficiency of charge separation in photosynthetic microorganisms is very high, the inefficient electron transfer from photosystems to the extracellular electrodes hampered the electrical outputs of BPV systems. This review summarizes the approaches that have been taken to increase the electrical outputs of BPV systems in recent years. These mainly include redirecting intracellular electron transfer, broadening available photosynthetic microorganisms, reinforcing interfacial electron transfer and design high-performance devices with different configurations. Furthermore, three strategies developed to extract photosynthetic electrons were discussed. Among them, the strategy of using synthetic microbial consortia could circumvent the weak exoelectrogenic activity of photosynthetic microorganisms and the cytotoxicity of exogenous electron mediators, thus show great potential in enhancing the power output and prolonging the lifetime of BPV systems. Lastly, we prospected how to facilitate electron extraction and further improve the performance of BPV systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huawei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Haowei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanping Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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10
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Baikie TK, Wey LT, Lawrence JM, Medipally H, Reisner E, Nowaczyk MM, Friend RH, Howe CJ, Schnedermann C, Rao A, Zhang JZ. Photosynthesis re-wired on the pico-second timescale. Nature 2023; 615:836-840. [PMID: 36949188 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05763-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Photosystems II and I (PSII, PSI) are the reaction centre-containing complexes driving the light reactions of photosynthesis; PSII performs light-driven water oxidation and PSI further photo-energizes harvested electrons. The impressive efficiencies of the photosystems have motivated extensive biological, artificial and biohybrid approaches to 're-wire' photosynthesis for higher biomass-conversion efficiencies and new reaction pathways, such as H2 evolution or CO2 fixation1,2. Previous approaches focused on charge extraction at terminal electron acceptors of the photosystems3. Electron extraction at earlier steps, perhaps immediately from photoexcited reaction centres, would enable greater thermodynamic gains; however, this was believed impossible with reaction centres buried at least 4 nm within the photosystems4,5. Here, we demonstrate, using in vivo ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy, extraction of electrons directly from photoexcited PSI and PSII at early points (several picoseconds post-photo-excitation) with live cyanobacterial cells or isolated photosystems, and exogenous electron mediators such as 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ) and methyl viologen. We postulate that these mediators oxidize peripheral chlorophyll pigments participating in highly delocalized charge-transfer states after initial photo-excitation. Our results challenge previous models that the photoexcited reaction centres are insulated within the photosystem protein scaffold, opening new avenues to study and re-wire photosynthesis for biotechnologies and semi-artificial photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomi K Baikie
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura T Wey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Joshua M Lawrence
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marc M Nowaczyk
- Plant Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Akshay Rao
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Jenny Z Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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11
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Howe CJ, Bombelli P. Is it realistic to use microbial photosynthesis to produce electricity directly? PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001970. [PMID: 36862663 PMCID: PMC9980807 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
It is possible to generate small amounts of electrical power directly from photosynthetic microorganisms-arguably the greenest of green energy. But will it have useful applications, and what are the hurdles if so?
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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12
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Atkinson JT, Chavez MS, Niman CM, El-Naggar MY. Living electronics: A catalogue of engineered living electronic components. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:507-533. [PMID: 36519191 PMCID: PMC9948233 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biology leverages a range of electrical phenomena to extract and store energy, control molecular reactions and enable multicellular communication. Microbes, in particular, have evolved genetically encoded machinery enabling them to utilize the abundant redox-active molecules and minerals available on Earth, which in turn drive global-scale biogeochemical cycles. Recently, the microbial machinery enabling these redox reactions have been leveraged for interfacing cells and biomolecules with electrical circuits for biotechnological applications. Synthetic biology is allowing for the use of these machinery as components of engineered living materials with tuneable electrical properties. Herein, we review the state of such living electronic components including wires, capacitors, transistors, diodes, optoelectronic components, spin filters, sensors, logic processors, bioactuators, information storage media and methods for assembling these components into living electronic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Atkinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Marko S Chavez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christina M Niman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mohamed Y El-Naggar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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13
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Schneider H, Lai B, Krömer J. Utilizing Cyanobacteria in Biophotovoltaics: An Emerging Field in Bioelectrochemistry. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 183:281-302. [PMID: 36441187 DOI: 10.1007/10_2022_212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic global warming is driven by the increasing energy demand and the still dominant use of fossil energy carriers to meet these needs. New carbon-neutral energy sources are urgently needed to solve this problem. Biophotovoltaics, a member of the so-called bioelectrochemical systems family, will provide an important piece of the energy puzzle. It aims to harvest the electrons from sunlight-driven water splitting using the natural oxygenic photosystem (e.g., of cyanobacteria) and utilize them in the form of, e.g., electricity or hydrogen. Several key aspects of biophotovoltaics have been intensively studied in recent years like physicochemical properties of electrodes or efficient wiring of microorganisms to electrodes. Yet, the exact mechanisms of electron transfer between the biocatalyst and the electrode remain unresolved today. Most research is conducted on microscale reactors generating small currents over short time-scales, but multiple experiments have shown biophotovoltaics great potential with lab-scale reactors producing currents over weeks to months. Although biophotovoltaics is still in its infancy with many open research questions to be addressed, new promising results from various labs around the world suggest an important opportunity for biophotovoltaics in the decades to come. In this chapter, we will introduce the concept of biophotovoltaics, summarize its recent key progress, and finally critically discuss the potentials and challenges for future rational development of biophotovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Schneider
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Bin Lai
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Krömer
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
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14
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Shlosberg Y, Schuster G, Adir N. Harnessing photosynthesis to produce electricity using cyanobacteria, green algae, seaweeds and plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:955843. [PMID: 35968083 PMCID: PMC9363842 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.955843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The conversion of solar energy into electrical current by photosynthetic organisms has the potential to produce clean energy. Life on earth depends on photosynthesis, the major mechanism for biological conversion of light energy into chemical energy. Indeed, billions of years of evolution and adaptation to extreme environmental habitats have resulted in highly efficient light-harvesting and photochemical systems in the photosynthetic organisms that can be found in almost every ecological habitat of our world. In harnessing photosynthesis to produce green energy, the native photosynthetic system is interfaced with electrodes and electron mediators to yield bio-photoelectrochemical cells (BPECs) that transform light energy into electrical power. BPECs utilizing plants, seaweeds, unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms, thylakoid membranes or purified complexes, have been studied in attempts to construct efficient and non-polluting BPECs to produce electricity or hydrogen for use as green energy. The high efficiency of photosynthetic light-harvesting and energy production in the mostly unpolluting processes that make use of water and CO2 and produce oxygen beckons us to develop this approach. On the other hand, the need to use physiological conditions, the sensitivity to photoinhibition as well as other abiotic stresses, and the requirement to extract electrons from the system are challenging. In this review, we describe the principles and methods of the different kinds of BPECs that use natural photosynthesis, with an emphasis on BPECs containing living oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. We start with a brief summary of BPECs that use purified photosynthetic complexes. This strategy has produced high-efficiency BPECs. However, the lifetimes of operation of these BPECs are limited, and the preparation is laborious and expensive. We then describe the use of thylakoid membranes in BPECs which requires less effort and usually produces high currents but still suffers from the lack of ability to self-repair damage caused by photoinhibition. This obstacle of the utilization of photosynthetic systems can be significantly reduced by using intact living organisms in the BPEC. We thus describe here progress in developing BPECs that make use of cyanobacteria, green algae, seaweeds and higher plants. Finally, we discuss the future challenges of producing high and longtime operating BPECs for practical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Shlosberg
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gadi Schuster
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Noam Adir
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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15
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Chen X, Lawrence JM, Wey LT, Schertel L, Jing Q, Vignolini S, Howe CJ, Kar-Narayan S, Zhang JZ. 3D-printed hierarchical pillar array electrodes for high-performance semi-artificial photosynthesis. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:811-818. [PMID: 35256790 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rewiring of photosynthetic biomachineries to electrodes is a forward-looking semi-artificial route for sustainable bio-electricity and fuel generation. Currently, it is unclear how the electrode and biomaterial interface can be designed to meet the complex requirements for high biophotoelectrochemical performance. Here we developed an aerosol jet printing method for generating hierarchical electrode structures using indium tin oxide nanoparticles. We printed libraries of micropillar array electrodes varying in height and submicrometre surface features, and studied the energy/electron transfer processes across the bio-electrode interfaces. When wired to the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, micropillar array electrodes with microbranches exhibited favourable biocatalyst loading, light utilization and electron flux output, ultimately almost doubling the photocurrent of state-of-the-art porous structures of the same height. When the micropillars' heights were increased to 600 µm, milestone mediated photocurrent densities of 245 µA cm-2 (the closest thus far to theoretical predictions) and external quantum efficiencies of up to 29% could be reached. This study demonstrates how bio-energy from photosynthesis could be more efficiently harnessed in the future and provide new tools for three-dimensional electrode design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Chen
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Laura T Wey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lukas Schertel
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Qingshen Jing
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Sohini Kar-Narayan
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jenny Z Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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16
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Dawiec-Liśniewska A, Podstawczyk D, Bastrzyk A, Czuba K, Pacyna-Iwanicka K, Okoro OV, Shavandi A. aNew trends in biotechnological applications of photosynthetic microorganisms. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107988. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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A biophotoelectrode based on boronic acid-modified Chlorella vulgaris cells integrated within a redox polymer. Bioelectrochemistry 2022; 146:108128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2022.108128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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18
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Kuruvinashetti K, Rahimi S, Pakkiriswami S, Packirisamy M. Simple, Economical Methods for the Culture of Green Algae for Energy Harvesting from Photosynthesis in a Microfluidic Environment. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e322. [PMID: 34898042 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing technological advancements continually increase the demand for energy. Among various types of energy harvesting systems, biologically based systems have been an area of increasing interest for the past couple of decades. Such systems provide clean, safe power solutions, mainly for low- and ultra-low-power applications. The microphotosynthetic power cell (μPSC) is one such system that make use of photosynthetic living cells or organisms to generate power. For strong performance, μPSC technology, because of its interdisciplinary nature, requires optimal engineering of both electrochemical cell design and the culture conditions of the photosynthetic microorganisms. We present here a simple, economical culture method for the photosynthetic microorganism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii suitable for the application of this biologically based power system in any geographical location. This article provides a series of protocols for preparing materials and culture medium designed to facilitate the culture of a suitable C. reinhardtii strain even in a non-biological laboratory. Possible challenges and methods to overcome them are also discussed. Cultured C. reinhardtii perform sufficiently well that they have already been successfully utilized to generate power from a μPSC, generating a peak power of 200 μW from just 2 ml of exponential-phase algal culture in a μPSC with an active electrode surface area of 4.84 cm2 . The μPSC thus has potentially broad applications in low- and ultra-low-power devices and sensors. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Algal growth conditions and algal growth chamber fabrication Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of Tris-acetate-phosphate (TAP) nutrient medium Basic Protocol 3: Preparation of suspension algal culture from algal strain Basic Protocol 4: Preparation of stock culture plates (algal strain) from suspension algal culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kuruvinashetti
- Optical Bio-Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Soroush Rahimi
- Optical Bio-Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shanmugasundaram Pakkiriswami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick (DMNB), Dalhousie University, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Muthukumaran Packirisamy
- Optical Bio-Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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19
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A biophotoelectrochemical approach to unravelling the role of cyanobacterial cell structures in exoelectrogenesis. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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20
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Pankratova G, Bollella P, Pankratov D, Gorton L. Supercapacitive biofuel cells. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 73:179-187. [PMID: 34481244 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Supercapacitive biofuel cells' (SBFCs) most recent advancements are herein disclosed. In conventional SBFCs the biocomponent is employed as the pseudocapacitive component, while in self-charging biodevices it also works as the biocatalyst. The performance of different types of SBFCs are summarized according to the categorization based on the biocatalyst employed: supercapacitive microbial fuel cells (s-MFCs), supercapacitive biophotovoltaics (SBPV) and supercapacitive enzymatic fuel cells (s-EFCs). SBFCs could be considered as promising 'alternative' energy devices (low-cost, environmentally friendly, and technically undemanding electric power sources etc.) being suitable for powering a new generation of miniaturized electronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Pankratova
- National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Paolo Bollella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bari A. Moro, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.
| | - Dmitry Pankratov
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lo Gorton
- Department of Analytical Chemistry/Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
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21
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Sayegh A, Perego LA, Arderiu Romero M, Escudero L, Delacotte J, Guille‐Collignon M, Grimaud L, Bailleul B, Lemaître F. Finding Adapted Quinones for Harvesting Electrons from Photosynthetic Algae Suspensions. ChemElectroChem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202100757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Sayegh
- PASTEUR Département de Chimie Ecole Normale Supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
| | - Luca A. Perego
- Laboratoire des biomolécules (LBM) Département de chimie Sorbonne Université École normale supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
| | - Marc Arderiu Romero
- PASTEUR Département de Chimie Ecole Normale Supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
- Laboratory of Membrane and Molecular Physiology at IBPC UMR 7141 CNRS/Sorbonne Université 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie 75005 Paris France
| | - Louis Escudero
- PASTEUR Département de Chimie Ecole Normale Supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
| | - Jérôme Delacotte
- PASTEUR Département de Chimie Ecole Normale Supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
| | - Manon Guille‐Collignon
- PASTEUR Département de Chimie Ecole Normale Supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
| | - Laurence Grimaud
- Laboratoire des biomolécules (LBM) Département de chimie Sorbonne Université École normale supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
| | - Benjamin Bailleul
- Laboratory of Membrane and Molecular Physiology at IBPC UMR 7141 CNRS/Sorbonne Université 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie 75005 Paris France
| | - Frédéric Lemaître
- PASTEUR Département de Chimie Ecole Normale Supérieure PSL University, Sorbonne Université CNRS, 75005 Paris France
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22
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Weliwatte NS, Grattieri M, Simoska O, Rhodes Z, Minteer SD. Unbranched Hybrid Conducting Redox Polymers for Intact Chloroplast-Based Photobioelectrocatalysis. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:7821-7833. [PMID: 34132548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photobioelectrocatalysis (PBEC) adopts the sophistication and sustainability of photosynthetic units to convert solar energy into electrical energy. However, the electrically insulating outer membranes of photosynthetic units hinder efficient extracellular electron transfer from photosynthetic redox centers to an electrode in photobioelectrocatalytic systems. Among the artificial redox-mediating approaches used to enhance electrochemical communication at this biohybrid interface, conducting redox polymers (CRPs) are characterized by high intrinsic electric conductivities for efficient charge transfer. A majority of these CRPs constitute peripheral redox pendants attached to a conducting backbone by a linker. The consequently branched CRPs necessitate maintaining synergistic interactions between the pendant, linker, and backbone for optimal mediator performance. Herein, an unbranched, metal-free CRP, polydihydroxy aniline (PDHA), which has its redox moiety embedded in the polymer mainchain, is used as an exogenous redox mediator and an immobilization matrix at the biohybrid interface. As a proof of concept, the relatively complex membrane system of spinach chloroplasts is used as the photobioelectrocatalyst of choice. A "mixed" deposition of chloroplasts and PDHA generated a 2.4-fold photocurrent density increment. An alternative "layered" PDHA-chloroplast deposition, which was used to control panchromatic light absorbance by the intensely colored PDHA competing with the photoactivity of chloroplasts, generated a 4.2-fold photocurrent density increment. The highest photocurrent density recorded with intact chloroplasts was achieved by the "layered" deposition when used in conjunction with the diffusible redox mediator 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone (-48 ± 3 μA cm-2). Our study effectively expands the scope of germane CRPs in PBEC, emphasizing the significance of the rational selection of CRPs for electrically insulating photobioelectrocatalysts and of the holistic modulation of the CRP-mediated biohybrids for optimal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Samali Weliwatte
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Matteo Grattieri
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona 4, Bari 70125, Italy
- IPCF-CNR Istituto per i Processi Chimico Fisici, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via E. Orabona 4, Bari 70125, Italy
| | - Olja Simoska
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Zayn Rhodes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Shelley D Minteer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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23
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Jacquet M, Izzo M, Osella S, Kozdra S, Michałowski PP, Gołowicz D, Kazimierczuk K, Gorzkowski MT, Lewera A, Teodorczyk M, Trzaskowski B, Jurczakowski R, Gryko DT, Kargul J. Development of a universal conductive platform for anchoring photo- and electroactive proteins using organometallic terpyridine molecular wires. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:9773-9787. [PMID: 34027945 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr08870f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The construction of an efficient conductive interface between electrodes and electroactive proteins is a major challenge in the biosensor and bioelectrochemistry fields to achieve the desired nanodevice performance. Concomitantly, metallo-organic terpyridine wires have been extensively studied for their great ability to mediate electron transfer over a long-range distance. In this study, we report a novel stepwise bottom-up approach for assembling bioelectrodes based on a genetically modified model electroactive protein, cytochrome c553 (cyt c553) and an organometallic terpyridine (TPY) molecular wire self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Efficient anchoring of the TPY derivative (TPY-PO(OH)2) onto the ITO surface was achieved by optimising solvent composition. Uniform surface coverage with the electroactive protein was achieved by binding the cyt c553 molecules via the C-terminal His6-tag to the modified TPY macromolecules containing Earth abundant metallic redox centres. Photoelectrochemical characterisation demonstrates the crucial importance of the metal redox centre for the determination of the desired electron transfer properties between cyt and the ITO electrode. Even without the cyt protein, the ITO-TPY nanosystem reported here generates photocurrents whose densities are 2-fold higher that those reported earlier for ITO electrodes functionalised with the photoactive proteins such as photosystem I in the presence of an external mediator, and 30-fold higher than that of the pristine ITO. The universal chemical platform for anchoring and nanostructuring of (photo)electroactive proteins reported in this study provides a major advancement for the construction of efficient (bio)molecular systems requiring a high degree of precise supramolecular organisation as well as efficient charge transfer between (photo)redox-active molecular components and various types of electrode materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Jacquet
- Solar Fuels Laboratory, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.
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24
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Linnemann J, Kanokkanchana K, Tschulik K. Design Strategies for Electrocatalysts from an Electrochemist’s Perspective. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c04118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Linnemann
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry II, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, ZEMOS, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Kannasoot Kanokkanchana
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry II, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, ZEMOS, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Kristina Tschulik
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry II, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, ZEMOS, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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25
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Clifford ER, Bradley RW, Wey LT, Lawrence JM, Chen X, Howe CJ, Zhang JZ. Phenazines as model low-midpoint potential electron shuttles for photosynthetic bioelectrochemical systems. Chem Sci 2021; 12:3328-3338. [PMID: 34164103 PMCID: PMC8179378 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc05655c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioelectrochemical approaches for energy conversion rely on efficient wiring of natural electron transport chains to electrodes. However, state-of-the-art exogenous electron mediators give rise to significant energy losses and, in the case of living systems, long-term cytotoxicity. Here, we explored new selection criteria for exogenous electron mediation by examining phenazines as novel low-midpoint potential molecules for wiring the photosynthetic electron transport chain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to electrodes. We identified pyocyanin (PYO) as an effective cell-permeable phenazine that can harvest electrons from highly reducing points of photosynthesis. PYO-mediated photocurrents were observed to be 4-fold higher than mediator-free systems with an energetic gain of 200 mV compared to the common high-midpoint potential mediator 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ). The low-midpoint potential of PYO led to O2 reduction side-reactions, which competed significantly against photocurrent generation; the tuning of mediator concentration was important for outcompeting the side-reactions whilst avoiding acute cytotoxicity. DCBQ-mediated photocurrents were generally much higher but also decayed rapidly and were non-recoverable with fresh mediator addition. This suggests that the cells can acquire DCBQ-resistance over time. In contrast, PYO gave rise to steadier current enhancement despite the co-generation of undesirable reactive oxygen species, and PYO-exposed cells did not develop acquired resistance. Moreover, we demonstrated that the cyanobacteria can be genetically engineered to produce PYO endogenously to improve long-term prospects. Overall, this study established that energetic gains can be achieved via the use of low-potential phenazines in photosynthetic bioelectrochemical systems, and quantifies the factors and trade-offs that determine efficacious mediation in living bioelectrochemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor R Clifford
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Robert W Bradley
- Department of Life Sciences Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Laura T Wey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge Tennis Court Road Cambridge CB2 1QW UK
| | - Joshua M Lawrence
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge Tennis Court Road Cambridge CB2 1QW UK
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Christopher J Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge Tennis Court Road Cambridge CB2 1QW UK
| | - Jenny Z Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
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26
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Weliwatte NS, Grattieri M, Minteer SD. Rational design of artificial redox-mediating systems toward upgrading photobioelectrocatalysis. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2021; 20:1333-1356. [PMID: 34550560 PMCID: PMC8455808 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-021-00099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Photobioelectrocatalysis has recently attracted particular research interest owing to the possibility to achieve sunlight-driven biosynthesis, biosensing, power generation, and other niche applications. However, physiological incompatibilities between biohybrid components lead to poor electrical contact at the biotic-biotic and biotic-abiotic interfaces. Establishing an electrochemical communication between these different interfaces, particularly the biocatalyst-electrode interface, is critical for the performance of the photobioelectrocatalytic system. While different artificial redox mediating approaches spanning across interdisciplinary research fields have been developed in order to electrically wire biohybrid components during bioelectrocatalysis, a systematic understanding on physicochemical modulation of artificial redox mediators is further required. Herein, we review and discuss the use of diffusible redox mediators and redox polymer-based approaches in artificial redox-mediating systems, with a focus on photobioelectrocatalysis. The future possibilities of artificial redox mediator system designs are also discussed within the purview of present needs and existing research breadth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matteo Grattieri
- Dipartimento Di Chimica, Università Degli Studi Di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy ,IPCF-CNR Istituto Per I Processi Chimico Fisici, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Shelley D. Minteer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
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27
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Chen H, Simoska O, Lim K, Grattieri M, Yuan M, Dong F, Lee YS, Beaver K, Weliwatte S, Gaffney EM, Minteer SD. Fundamentals, Applications, and Future Directions of Bioelectrocatalysis. Chem Rev 2020; 120:12903-12993. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Olja Simoska
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Koun Lim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Matteo Grattieri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Mengwei Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Fangyuan Dong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Yoo Seok Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kevin Beaver
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Samali Weliwatte
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Erin M. Gaffney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Shelley D. Minteer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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Roxby DN, Rivy H, Gong C, Gong X, Yuan Z, Chang GE, Chen YC. Microalgae living sensor for metal ion detection with nanocavity-enhanced photoelectrochemistry. Biosens Bioelectron 2020; 165:112420. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Abstract
The biological process of photosynthesis was critical in catalyzing the oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere 2.5 billion years ago, changing the course of development of life on Earth. Recently, the fields of applied and synthetic photosynthesis have utilized the light-driven protein–pigment supercomplexes central to photosynthesis for the photocatalytic production of fuel and other various valuable products. The reaction center Photosystem I is of particular interest in applied photosynthesis due to its high stability post-purification, non-geopolitical limitation, and its ability to generate the greatest reducing power found in nature. These remarkable properties have been harnessed for the photocatalytic production of a number of valuable products in the applied photosynthesis research field. These primarily include photocurrents and molecular hydrogen as fuels. The use of artificial reaction centers to generate substrates and reducing equivalents to drive non-photoactive enzymes for valuable product generation has been a long-standing area of interest in the synthetic photosynthesis research field. In this review, we cover advances in these areas and further speculate synthetic and applied photosynthesis as photocatalysts for the generation of valuable products.
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Thirumurthy MA, Hitchcock A, Cereda A, Liu J, Chavez MS, Doss BL, Ros R, El-Naggar MY, Heap JT, Bibby TS, Jones AK. Type IV Pili-Independent Photocurrent Production by the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1344. [PMID: 32714295 PMCID: PMC7344198 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophotovoltaic devices utilize photosynthetic organisms such as the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Synechocystis) to generate current for power or hydrogen production from light. These devices have been improved by both architecture engineering and genetic engineering of the phototrophic organism. However, genetic approaches are limited by lack of understanding of cellular mechanisms of electron transfer from internal metabolism to the cell exterior. Type IV pili have been implicated in extracellular electron transfer (EET) in some species of heterotrophic bacteria. Furthermore, conductive cell surface filaments have been reported for cyanobacteria, including Synechocystis. However, it remains unclear whether these filaments are type IV pili and whether they are involved in EET. Herein, a mediatorless electrochemical setup is used to compare the electrogenic output of wild-type Synechocystis to that of a ΔpilD mutant that cannot produce type IV pili. No differences in photocurrent, i.e., current in response to illumination, are detectable. Furthermore, measurements of individual pili using conductive atomic force microscopy indicate these structures are not conductive. These results suggest that pili are not required for EET by Synechocystis, supporting a role for shuttling of electrons via soluble redox mediators or direct interactions between the cell surface and extracellular substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Angelo Cereda
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Jiawei Liu
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Marko S. Chavez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Bryant L. Doss
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Robert Ros
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Mohamed Y. El-Naggar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - John T. Heap
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas S. Bibby
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Anne K. Jones
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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Roxby DN, Yuan Z, Krishnamoorthy S, Wu P, Tu W, Chang G, Lau R, Chen Y. Enhanced Biophotocurrent Generation in Living Photosynthetic Optical Resonator. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:1903707. [PMID: 32537412 PMCID: PMC7284217 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201903707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergy from photosynthetic living organisms is a potential solution for energy-harvesting and bioelectricity-generation issues. With the emerging interest in biophotovoltaics, extracting electricity from photosynthetic organisms remains challenging because of the low electron-transition rate and photon collection efficiency due to membrane shielding. In this study, the concept of "photosynthetic resonator" to amplify biological nanoelectricity through the confinement of living microalgae (Chlorella sp.) in an optical micro/nanocavity is demonstrated. Strong energy coupling between the Fabry-Perot cavity mode and photosynthetic resonance offers the potential of exploiting optical resonators to amplify photocurrent generation as well as energy harvesting. Biomimetic models and living photosynthesis are explored in which the power is increased by almost 600% and 200%, respectively. Systematic studies of photosystem fluorescence and photocurrent are simultaneously carried out. Finally, an optofluidic-based photosynthetic device is developed. It is envisaged that the key innovations proposed in this study can provide comprehensive insights in biological-energy sciences, suggesting a new avenue to amplify electrochemical signals using an optical cavity. Promising applications include photocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, biofuel devices, and sustainable optoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N. Roxby
- School of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Zhiyi Yuan
- School of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Sankaran Krishnamoorthy
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Pinchieh Wu
- Department of PhotonicsNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan CityTaiwan
| | - Wei‐Chen Tu
- Department of Electrical EngineeringNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan CityTaiwan
| | - Guo‐En Chang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringNational Chung Cheng UniversityChiayiTaiwan
| | - Raymond Lau
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Yu‐Cheng Chen
- School of Electrical and Electronics EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
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Jun D, Richardson-Sanchez T, Mahey A, Murphy MEP, Fernandez RC, Beatty JT. Introduction of the Menaquinone Biosynthetic Pathway into Rhodobacter sphaeroides and de Novo Synthesis of Menaquinone for Incorporation into Heterologously Expressed Integral Membrane Proteins. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:1190-1200. [PMID: 32271543 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Quinones are redox-active molecules that transport electrons and protons in organelles and cell membranes during respiration and photosynthesis. In addition to the fundamental importance of these processes in supporting life, there has been considerable interest in exploiting their mechanisms for diverse applications ranging from medical advances to innovative biotechnologies. Such applications include novel treatments to target pathogenic bacterial infections and fabricating biohybrid solar cells as an alternative renewable energy source. Ubiquinone (UQ) is the predominant charge-transfer mediator in both respiration and photosynthesis. Other quinones, such as menaquinone (MK), are additional or alternative redox mediators, for example in bacterial photosynthesis of species such as Thermochromatium tepidum and Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been used extensively to study electron transfer processes, and recently as a platform to produce integral membrane proteins from other species. To expand the diversity of redox mediators in R. sphaeroides, nine Escherichia coli genes encoding the synthesis of MK from chorismate and polyprenyl diphosphate were assembled into a synthetic operon in a newly designed expression plasmid. We show that the menFDHBCE, menI, menA, and ubiE genes are sufficient for MK synthesis when expressed in R. sphaeroides cells, on the basis of high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The T. tepidum and C. aurantiacus photosynthetic reaction centers produced in R. sphaeroides were found to contain MK. We also measured in vitro charge recombination kinetics of the T. tepidum reaction center to demonstrate that the MK is redox-active and incorporated into the QA pocket of this heterologously expressed reaction center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jun
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Tomas Richardson-Sanchez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Amita Mahey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael E. P. Murphy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Rachel C. Fernandez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - J. Thomas Beatty
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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