Oral Presentation 18th International Congress on Photobiology 2024

Bringing Living Photovoltaics to Life with Nanobioengineering (#112)

Ardemis Boghossian 1
  1. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, VAUD, Switzerland

This presentation highlights recent breakthroughs in the field of "living photovoltaics," photovoltaics that are powered by extracting photocurrent from light-harvesting microbes. In particular, we aim to increase the photocurrent of these devices by enhancing the transport of photosynthetically-derived electrons across the outer membranes of cells. Through a combination of bioengineering [1-3], electrode engineering [4-5], and nanoparticle infusion (“nanobionics”) [6-8], we demonstrate orthogonal and complementary nanobioengineering approaches for enabling extracellular electron transfer in cells that naturally lack this ability. Building on relatively recent discoveries in the extracellular electron transfer mechanisms of S. oneidensis, our research focuses on the heterologous expression of key cytochromes in a model facultative anaerobe (E. coli) for translation into a photoautotroph (Synechocystis sp. PCC6803). We employ a combination of colorimetric and electrochemical techniques to characterize extracellular electron transfer in these engineered microbes under mediated and non-mediated conditions. To optimize charge transfer in these cells, we have further developed novel approaches for interfacing photosynthetic microbes with modified electrodes and infusing nanoparticles. We leverage these advancements to demonstrate living fuel cells and photovoltaics with record-breaking performances.

 

 

  1. [1] Mouhib, M.; Reggente, M.; Lin, L.; Schurgers, N.; Boghossian, A.A. Extracellular electron transfer pathways to enhance the electroactivity of modified Escherichia coli Joule, 7, 2092–2106 (2023).
  2. [2] Mouhib, M; Reggente, M;. Boghossian, A.A. Implementation of a flavin biosynthesis operon improves extracellular electron transfer in bioengineered Escherichia coli, bioRxiv 10.1101/2022.12.31.522390
  3. [3] Reggente, M.; Schuergers, N.; Mouhib, M.; Politi, S.; Antonucci, A.; Boghossian, A.A. Living Photovoltaics based on Recombinant Expression of MtrA Decaheme in Photosynthetic Bacteria, bioRxiv 10.1101/2023.02.28.530417.
  4. [4] Reggente, M.; Politi, S.; Antonucci, A.; Tamburri, E.; Boghossian, A.A. Design of Optimized PEDOT-Based Electrodes for Enhancing Performance of Living Photovoltaics Based on Phototropic Bacteria, Adv Mater Technol. 5, 1900931 (2020).
  5. [5] Roullier, C.; Reggente, M.; Gilibert, P.; Boghossian, A.A. Polypyrrole Electrodes Show Strain-Specific Enhancement of Photocurrent from Cyanobacteria, Adv Mater Technol. 8, 2201839 (2023).
  6. [6] Antonucci, A.; Reggente, M.; Roullier, C.; Gillen, A.J.; Schuergers, N.; Zubkovs, V.; Lambert, B.P.; Mouhib, M.; Carata, E.; Dini, L.; Boghossian, A.A. Carbon nanotube uptake in cyanobacteria for near-infrared imaging and enhanced bioelectricity generation in living photovoltaics, Nat Nanotech. 17, 1111–1119 (2022).
  7. [7] Labarile, R.; Vona, D.; Varsalona, M.; Grattieri, M.; Reggente, M; Comparelli, R.; Farinola, G.M.; Fischer, F.; Boghossian, A.A.; Trotta, M. In vivo polydopamine coating of Rhodobacter sphaeroides for enhanced electron transfer, Nano Res. 17, 875−881 (2024).
  8. [8] Reggente, M.; Roullier, C.; Mouhib, M.; Brandl, P.; Wang, H.; Tacconi, S.; Mura, F.; Dini, L.; Labarile, R.; Trotta, M.; Fischer, F.; Boghossian, A.A. Polydopamine-coated photoautotrophic bacteria for improving extracellular electron transfer in living photovoltaics, Nano Res. 17, 866–874, (2024).