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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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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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3
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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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4
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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: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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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5
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Reineke W, Schlömann M. Biotechnology and Environmental Protection. Environ Microbiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-66547-3_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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6
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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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7
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Hatano J, Kusama S, Tanaka K, Kohara A, Miyake C, Nakanishi S, Shimakawa G. NADPH production in dark stages is critical for cyanobacterial photocurrent generation: a study using mutants deficient in oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 153:113-120. [PMID: 35182311 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00903-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Live cyanobacteria and algae integrated onto an extracellular electrode can generate a light-induced current (i.e., a photocurrent). Although the photocurrent is expected to be correlated with the redox environment of the photosynthetic cells, the relationship between the photocurrent and the cellular redox state is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NADP(H)] redox level of cyanobacterial cells (before light exposure) on the photocurrent using several mutants (Δzwf, Δgnd, and ΔglgP) deficient in the oxidative pentose phosphate (OPP) pathway, which is the metabolic pathway that produces NADPH in darkness. The NAD(P)H redox level and photocurrent in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 were measured noninvasively. Dysfunction of the OPP pathway led to oxidation of the photosynthetic NADPH pool in darkness. In addition, photocurrent induction was retarded and the current density was lower in Δzwf, Δgnd, and ΔglgP than in wild-type cells. Exogenously added glucose compensated the phenotype of ΔglgP and drove the OPP pathway in the mutant, resulting in an increase in the photocurrent. The results indicated that NADPH accumulated by the OPP pathway before illumination is a key factor for the generation of a photocurrent. In addition, measuring the photocurrent can be a non-invasive approach to estimate the cellular redox level related to NADP(H) pool in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiro Hatano
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8631, Japan
| | - Shoko Kusama
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8631, Japan
| | - Kenya Tanaka
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8631, Japan
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ayaka Kohara
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Chikahiro Miyake
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Shuji Nakanishi
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8631, Japan.
- Innovative Catalysis Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Ginga Shimakawa
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8631, Japan.
- Department of Bioscience, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei-Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1337, Japan.
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8
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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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9
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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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10
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Order-of-magnitude enhancement in photocurrent generation of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by outer membrane deprivation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3067. [PMID: 35654796 PMCID: PMC9163127 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30764-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophotovoltaics (BPV) generates electricity from reducing equivalent(s) produced by photosynthetic organisms by exploiting a phenomenon called extracellular electron transfer (EET), where reducing equivalent(s) is transferred to external electron acceptors. Although cyanobacteria have been extensively studied for BPV because of their high photosynthetic activity and ease of handling, their low EET activity poses a limitation. Here, we show an order-of-magnitude enhancement in photocurrent generation of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by deprivation of the outer membrane, where electrons are suggested to stem from pathway(s) downstream of photosystem I. A marked enhancement of EET activity itself is verified by rapid reduction of exogenous electron acceptor, ferricyanide. The extracellular organic substances, including reducing equivalent(s), produced by this cyanobacterium serve as respiratory substrates for other heterotrophic bacteria. These findings demonstrate that the outer membrane is a barrier that limits EET. Therefore, depriving this membrane is an effective approach to exploit the cyanobacterial reducing equivalent(s). The low extracellular electron transfer activity hampers the application of cyanobacteria in biophotovoltaics. Here, the authors report an order-of-magnitude enhancement in photocurrent generation of the cyanobacterium by deprivation of the outer cell membrane.
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11
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Bioelectricity generation from live marine photosynthetic macroalgae. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 198:113824. [PMID: 34864244 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of solar energy into electrical current by photosynthetic organisms has the potential to produce clean energy. Bio-photoelectrochemical cells (BPECs) utilizing unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms have been studied, however similar harvesting of electrons from more evolved intact photosynthetic organisms has not been previously reported. In this study, we describe for the first time BPECs containing intact live marine macroalgae (seaweeds) in natural seawater or saline buffer. The BPECs produce electrical currents of >50 mA/cm2, from both light-dependent (photosynthesis) and light-independent processes. These values are significantly greater than the current densities that have been reported for single-cell microorganisms. The photocurrent is inhibited by the Photosystem II inhibitor 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, indicating that the source of light-driven electrons is from photosynthetic water oxidation. The current is mediated to the external anode via NADPH and possibly other reduced molecules. We show that intact macroalgae cultures can be used in large-scale BPECs containing seawater, to produce bias-free photocurrents, paving the way for the future development of low-cost energy solar energy conversion technologies using BPECs.
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12
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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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13
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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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14
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Electron Mediation and Photocurrent Enhancement in Dunalliela salina Driven Bio-Photo Electrochemical Cells. Catalysts 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/catal11101220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, finding alternatives for fossil fuels has become a major concern. One promising solution is microorganism-based bio-photo electrochemical cells (BPECs) that utilize photosynthetic solar energy conversion as an energy source while absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. It was previously reported that in cyanobacterial-based BPECs, the major endogenous electron mediator that can transfer electrons from the thylakoid membrane photosynthetic complexes and external anodes is NADPH. However, the question of whether the same electron transfer mechanism is also valid for live eukaryotic microalgae, in which NADPH must cross both the chloroplast outer membrane and the cell wall to be secreted from the cell has remained elusive. In this work, we show that NADPH is also the major endogenous electron mediator in the microalgae Dunalliela salina (Ds). We show that the ability of Ds to tolerate high salinity enables the production of a photocurrent that is 5–6 times greater than previously reported for freshwater cyanobacterial-based BPECs in the presence or absence of exogenous electron mediators. Additionally, we show that the electron mediator Vitamin B1 can also function as an electron mediator enhancing photocurrent production. Finally, we show that the addition of both FeCN and NADP+ to Ds has a synergistic effect enhancing the photocurrent beyond the effect of adding each mediator separately.
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15
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Firoozabadi H, Mardanpour MM, Motamedian E. A system-oriented strategy to enhance electron production of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 in bio-photovoltaic devices: experimental and modeling insights. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12294. [PMID: 34112928 PMCID: PMC8192556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91906-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bio-photovoltaic devices (BPVs) harness photosynthetic organisms to produce bioelectricity in an eco-friendly way. However, their low energy efficiency is still a challenge. A comprehension of metabolic constraints can result in finding strategies for efficiency enhancement. This study presents a systemic approach based on metabolic modeling to design a regulatory defined medium, reducing the intracellular constraints in bioelectricity generation of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 through the cellular metabolism alteration. The approach identified key reactions that played a critical role in improving electricity generation in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 by comparing multiple optimal solutions of minimal and maximal NADH generation using two criteria. Regulatory compounds, which controlled the enzyme activity of the key reactions, were obtained from the BRENDA database. The selected compounds were subsequently added to the culture media, and their effect on bioelectricity generation was experimentally assessed. The power density curves for different culture media showed the BPV fed by Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 suspension in BG-11 supplemented with NH4Cl achieved the maximum power density of 148.27 mW m-2. This produced power density was more than 40.5-fold of what was obtained for the BPV fed with cyanobacterial suspension in BG-11. The effect of the activators on BPV performance was also evaluated by comparing their overpotential, maximum produced power density, and biofilm morphology under different conditions. These findings demonstrated the crucial role of cellular metabolism in improving bioelectricity generation in BPVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Firoozabadi
- grid.412266.50000 0001 1781 3962Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-143, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Mardanpour
- grid.412553.40000 0001 0740 9747Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Motamedian
- grid.412266.50000 0001 1781 3962Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-143, Tehran, Iran
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16
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Tanaka K, Shimakawa G, Kusama S, Harada T, Kato S, Nakanishi S. Ferrihydrite Reduction by Photosynthetic Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Its Correlation With Electricity Generation. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:650832. [PMID: 33763051 PMCID: PMC7982531 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.650832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial extracellular electron transfer (EET) to solid-state electron acceptors such as anodes and metal oxides, which was originally identified in dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria, is a key process in microbial electricity generation and the biogeochemical cycling of metals. Although it is now known that photosynthetic microorganisms can also generate (photo)currents via EET, which has attracted much interest in the field of biophotovoltaics, little is known about the reduction of metal (hydr)oxides via photosynthetic microbial EET. The present work quantitatively assessed the reduction of ferrihydrite in conjunction with the EET of the photosynthetic microbe Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Microbial reduction of ferrihydrite was found to be initiated in response to light but proceeded at higher rates when exogenous glucose was added, even under dark conditions. These results indicate that current generation from Synechocystis cells does not always need light irradiation. The qualitative trends exhibited by the ferrihydrite reduction rates under various conditions showed significant correlation with those of the microbial currents. Notably, the maximum concentration of Fe(II) generated by the cyanobacterial cells under dark conditions in the presence of glucose was comparable to the levels observed in the photic layers of Fe-rich microbial mats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenya Tanaka
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Ginga Shimakawa
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Shoko Kusama
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Takashi Harada
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Souichiro Kato
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan.,Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shuji Nakanishi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan.,Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
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17
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Gunaseelan K, Jadhav DA, Gajalakshmi S, Pant D. Blending of microbial inocula: An effective strategy for performance enhancement of clayware Biophotovoltaics microbial fuel cells. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 323:124564. [PMID: 33360719 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Performance of clayware Biophotovoltaics (BPVs) with three variants of inocula namely anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (APB) rich Effective microbes (EM), Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) sludge, SUPER-MIX the blend of EM and UASB inoculum were evaluated on the basis of electrical output and pollutant removal. SUPER-MIX inocula with microbial community comprising of 28.42% APB and 71.58% of other microbes resulted in peak power density of 275 mW/m2, 69.3 ± 1.74% Coulombic efficiency and 91 ± 3.96% organic matter removal. The higher performance of the SUPER-MIX than EM and UASB inocula was due to the syntrophic associations of the various APBs and other heterogenous microorganisms in perfect blend which improved biocatalytic electron transfer, electro-kinetic activities with higher redox current and bio-capacitance. The promising performance of clayware BPVs with SUPER-MIX inocula indicate the possibility of BPVs to move towards the scale-up process to minimize the investment towards pure culture by effective blending strategies of inocula.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Gunaseelan
- Sustainable Fuel Cells Technology Lab, Centre for Pollution Control & Environmental Engineering, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014, India
| | - Dipak A Jadhav
- Department of Agricultural Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Aurangabad 431010, India
| | - S Gajalakshmi
- Sustainable Fuel Cells Technology Lab, Centre for Pollution Control & Environmental Engineering, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014, India.
| | - Deepak Pant
- Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
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18
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Shlosberg Y, Eichenbaum B, Tóth TN, Levin G, Liveanu V, Schuster G, Adir N. NADPH performs mediated electron transfer in cyanobacterial-driven bio-photoelectrochemical cells. iScience 2021; 24:101892. [PMID: 33364581 PMCID: PMC7750406 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that live cyanobacteria can produce photocurrent in bio-photoelectrochemical cells (BPECs) that can be exploited for clean renewable energy production. Electron transfer from cyanobacteria to the electrochemical cell was proposed to be facilitated by small molecule(s) mediator(s) whose identity (or identities) remain unknown. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of electron transfer in the BPEC by identifying the major electron mediator as NADPH in three cyanobacterial species. We show that an increase in the concentration of NADPH secreted into the external cell medium (ECM) is obtained by both illumination and activation of the BPEC. Elimination of NADPH in the ECM abrogates the photocurrent while addition of exogenous NADP+ significantly increases and prolongs the photocurrent production. NADP+ is thus the first non-toxic, water soluble electron mediator that can functionally link photosynthetic cells to an energy conversion system and may serve to improve the performance of future BPECs. NADPH is the electron mediator in cyanobacterial bio-photoelectrochemical cells Operation of the electrochemical cell induces NADPH release from cyanobacteria Addition of exogenous NADP+ to cyanobacteria enhances photocurrent production NADPH is released by different fresh or sea water cyanobacterial species
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Shlosberg
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | | | - Tünde N Tóth
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Guy Levin
- Faculty of Biology, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | | | - Gadi Schuster
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Faculty of Biology, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Noam Adir
- Grand Technion Energy Program, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
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19
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Tokunou Y, Vieira Lemos R, Tsujimura S, Okamoto A, Ledezma P, Freguia S. Synechococcus
and Other Bloom‐Forming Cyanobacteria Exhibit Unique Redox Signatures. ChemElectroChem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202001274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihide Tokunou
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Tsukuba 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8572 Japan
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics National Institute for Materials Science 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0044 Japan
| | - Rita Vieira Lemos
- Advanced Water Management Centre The University of Queensland Brisbane 4072 Queensland Australia
| | - Seiya Tsujimura
- Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences University of Tsukuba 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8573 Japan
| | - Akihiro Okamoto
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics National Institute for Materials Science 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0044 Japan
- School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering Hokkaido University 13 Kita, 8 Nishi, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-8628 Japan
| | - Pablo Ledezma
- Advanced Water Management Centre The University of Queensland Brisbane 4072 Queensland Australia
| | - Stefano Freguia
- Department of Chemical Engineering The University of Melbourne Melbourne 3010 Victoria Australia
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20
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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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21
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Gacitua M, Urrejola C, Carrasco J, Vicuña R, Srain BM, Pantoja-Gutiérrez S, Leech D, Antiochia R, Tasca F. Use of a Thermophile Desiccation-Tolerant Cyanobacterial Culture and Os Redox Polymer for the Preparation of Photocurrent Producing Anodes. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:900. [PMID: 32974292 PMCID: PMC7471869 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygenic photosynthesis conducted by cyanobacteria has dramatically transformed the geochemistry of our planet. These organisms have colonized most habitats, including extreme environments such as the driest warm desert on Earth: the Atacama Desert. In particular, cyanobacteria highly tolerant to desiccation are of particular interest for clean energy production. These microorganisms are promising candidates for designing bioelectrodes for photocurrent generation owing to their ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis and to withstand long periods of desiccation. Here, we present bioelectrochemical assays in which graphite electrodes were modified with the extremophile cyanobacterium Gloeocapsopsis sp. UTEXB3054 for photocurrent generation. Optimum working conditions for photocurrent generation were determined by modifying directly graphite electrode with the cyanobacterial culture (direct electron transfer), as well as using an Os polymer redox mediator (mediated electron transfer). Besides showing outstanding photocurrent production for Gloeocapsopsis sp. UTEXB3054, both in direct and mediated electron transfer, our results provide new insights into the metabolic basis of photocurrent generation and the potential applications of such an assisted bioelectrochemical system in a worldwide scenario in which clean energies are imperative for sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Gacitua
- Departamento de Química de los Materiales, Facultad de Quiìmica y Biologiìa, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Catalina Urrejola
- Departamento Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javiera Carrasco
- Departamento de Química de los Materiales, Facultad de Quiìmica y Biologiìa, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rafael Vicuña
- Departamento Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Benjamín M Srain
- Departamento de Oceanografía and Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica COPAS Sur-Austral, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Silvio Pantoja-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Oceanografía and Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica COPAS Sur-Austral, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Donal Leech
- School of Chemistry and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Riccarda Antiochia
- Department of Chemistry and Drug Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Tasca
- Departamento de Química de los Materiales, Facultad de Quiìmica y Biologiìa, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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22
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Okedi TI, Fisher AC, Yunus K. Quantitative analysis of the effects of morphological changes on extracellular electron transfer rates in cyanobacteria. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:150. [PMID: 32863880 PMCID: PMC7449014 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01788-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the extracellular electron transport pathways in cyanobacteria is a major factor towards developing biophotovoltaics. Stressing cyanobacteria cells environmentally and then probing changes in physiology or metabolism following a significant change in electron transfer rates is a common approach for investigating the electron path from cell to electrode. However, such studies have not explored how the cells' concurrent morphological adaptations to the applied stresses affect electron transfer rates. In this paper, we establish a ratio to quantify this effect in mediated systems and apply it to Synechococcus elongatus sp. PCC7942 cells grown under different nutritional regimes. RESULTS The results provide evidence that wider and longer cells with larger surface areas have faster mediated electron transfer rates. For rod-shaped cells, increase in cell area as a result of cell elongation more than compensates for the associated decline in mass transfer coefficients, resulting in faster electron transfer. In addition, the results demonstrate that the extent to which morphological adaptations account for the changes in electron transfer rates changes over the bacterial growth cycle, such that investigations probing physiological and metabolic changes are meaningful only at certain time periods. CONCLUSION A simple ratio for quantitatively evaluating the effects of cell morphology adaptations on electron transfer rates has been defined. Furthermore, the study points to engineering cell shape, either via environmental conditioning or genetic engineering, as a potential strategy for improving the performance of biophotovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonny I. Okedi
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Phillipa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS UK
| | - Adrian C. Fisher
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Phillipa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS UK
- Cambridge Center for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), 1 Create Way, #05-05 CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Kamran Yunus
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Phillipa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS UK
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23
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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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24
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Reineke W, Schlömann M. Biotechnologie und Umweltschutz. UMWELTMIKROBIOLOGIE 2020. [PMCID: PMC7253657 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-59655-5_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Die Belange einer umweltgemäßen Schädlingsbekämpfung führen in zunehmendem Maße zur Suche nach Mikroorganismen, die als Antagonisten gegen sogenannte Schadinsekten eingesetzt werden können oder deren Stoffwechselprodukte sich als neue Wirkstoffe eignen.
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25
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Zhang JZ, Reisner E. Advancing photosystem II photoelectrochemistry for semi-artificial photosynthesis. Nat Rev Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s41570-019-0149-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Tucci M, Bombelli P, Howe CJ, Vignolini S, Bocchi S, Schievano A. A Storable Mediatorless Electrochemical Biosensor for Herbicide Detection. Microorganisms 2019; 7:E630. [PMID: 31795453 PMCID: PMC6956157 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7120630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel mediatorless photo-bioelectrochemical sensor operated with a biofilm of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC6803 wt. for herbicide detection with long term stability (>20 days) was successfully developed and tested. Photoanodic current generation was obtained in the absence of artificial mediators. The inhibitory effect on photocurrent of three commonly used herbicides (i.e., atrazine, diuron, and paraquat) was used as a means of measuring their concentrations in aqueous solution. The injection of atrazine and diuron into the algal medium caused an immediate photocurrent drop due to the inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport. The detected concentrations were suitable for environmental analysis, as revealed by a comparison with the freshwater quality benchmarks set by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (US EPA). In contrast, paraquat caused an initial increase (~2 h) of the photocurrent effect of about 200%, as this compound can act as a redox mediator between the cells and the anode. A relatively long-term stability of the biosensor was demonstrated, by keeping anodes colonized with cyanobacterial biofilm in the dark at 4 °C. After 22 days of storage, the performance in terms of the photocurrent was comparable with the freshly prepared biosensor. This result was confirmed by the measurement of chlorophyll content, which demonstrated preservation of the cyanobacterial biofilm. The capacity of this biosensor to recover after a cold season or other prolonged environmental stresses could be a key advantage in field applications, such as in water bodies and agriculture. This study is a step forward in the biotechnological development and implementation of storable mediatorless electrochemical biosensors for herbicide detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Tucci
- e-Bio Center, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 2, 20,133 Milan, Italy; (M.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria, 2, 20,133 Milano, Italy;
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK;
| | - Christopher J. Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK;
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK;
| | - Stefano Bocchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria, 2, 20,133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Andrea Schievano
- e-Bio Center, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 2, 20,133 Milan, Italy; (M.T.); (A.S.)
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27
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Wey LT, Bombelli P, Chen X, Lawrence JM, Rabideau CM, Rowden SJL, Zhang JZ, Howe CJ. The Development of Biophotovoltaic Systems for Power Generation and Biological Analysis. ChemElectroChem 2019; 6:5375-5386. [PMID: 31867153 PMCID: PMC6899825 DOI: 10.1002/celc.201900997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Biophotovoltaic systems (BPVs) resemble microbial fuel cells, but utilise oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms associated with an anode to generate an extracellular electrical current, which is stimulated by illumination. Study and exploitation of BPVs have come a long way over the last few decades, having benefited from several generations of electrode development and improvements in wiring schemes. Power densities of up to 0.5 W m-2 and the powering of small electrical devices such as a digital clock have been reported. Improvements in standardisation have meant that this biophotoelectrochemical phenomenon can be further exploited to address biological questions relating to the organisms. Here, we aim to provide both biologists and electrochemists with a review of the progress of BPV development with a focus on biological materials, electrode design and interfacial wiring considerations, and propose steps for driving the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura T. Wey
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB1 2EWUK
| | - Joshua M. Lawrence
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Clayton M. Rabideau
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
- Department of Chemical Engineering and BiotechnologyUniversity of Cambridge Philippa Fawcett DrCambridgeCB3 0ASUK
| | - Stephen J. L. Rowden
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Jenny Z. Zhang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB1 2EWUK
| | - Christopher J. Howe
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
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28
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The ChlD subunit links the motor and porphyrin binding subunits of magnesium chelatase. Biochem J 2019; 476:1875-1887. [PMID: 31164400 PMCID: PMC6604950 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Magnesium chelatase initiates chlorophyll biosynthesis, catalysing the MgATP2−-dependent insertion of a Mg2+ ion into protoporphyrin IX. The catalytic core of this large enzyme complex consists of three subunits: Bch/ChlI, Bch/ChlD and Bch/ChlH (in bacteriochlorophyll and chlorophyll producing species, respectively). The D and I subunits are members of the AAA+ (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) superfamily of enzymes, and they form a complex that binds to H, the site of metal ion insertion. In order to investigate the physical coupling between ChlID and ChlH in vivo and in vitro, ChlD was FLAG-tagged in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed interactions with both ChlI and ChlH. Co-production of recombinant ChlD and ChlH in Escherichia coli yielded a ChlDH complex. Quantitative analysis using microscale thermophoresis showed magnesium-dependent binding (Kd 331 ± 58 nM) between ChlD and H. The physical basis for a ChlD–H interaction was investigated using chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (XL–MS), together with modifications that either truncate ChlD or modify single residues. We found that the C-terminal integrin I domain of ChlD governs association with ChlH, the Mg2+ dependence of which also mediates the cooperative response of the Synechocystis chelatase to magnesium. The interaction site between the AAA+ motor and the chelatase domain of magnesium chelatase will be essential for understanding how free energy from the hydrolysis of ATP on the AAA+ ChlI subunit is transmitted via the bridging subunit ChlD to the active site on ChlH.
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29
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Tschörtner J, Lai B, Krömer JO. Biophotovoltaics: Green Power Generation From Sunlight and Water. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:866. [PMID: 31114551 PMCID: PMC6503001 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophotovoltaics is a relatively new discipline in microbial fuel cell research. The basic idea is the conversion of light energy into electrical energy using photosynthetic microorganisms. The microbes will use their photosynthetic apparatus and the incoming light to split the water molecule. The generated protons and electrons are harvested using a bioelectrochemical system. The key challenge is the extraction of electrons from the microbial electron transport chains into a solid-state anode. On the cathode, a corresponding electrochemical counter reaction will consume the protons and electrons, e.g., through the oxygen reduction to water, or hydrogen formation. In this review, we are aiming to summarize the current state of the art and point out some limitations. We put a specific emphasis on cyanobacteria, as these microbes are considered future workhorses for photobiotechnology and are currently the most widely applied microbes in biophotovoltaics research. Current progress in biophotovoltaics is limited by very low current outputs of the devices while a lack of comparability and standardization of the experimental set-up hinders a systematic optimization of the systems. Nevertheless, the fundamental questions of redox homeostasis in photoautotrophs and the potential to directly harvest light energy from a highly efficient photosystem, rather than through oxidation of inefficiently produced biomass are highly relevant aspects of biophotovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jens O. Krömer
- Systems Biotechnology, Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
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30
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Polyviou D, Machelett MM, Hitchcock A, Baylay AJ, MacMillan F, Moore CM, Bibby TS, Tews I. Structural and functional characterization of IdiA/FutA (Tery_3377), an iron-binding protein from the ocean diazotroph Trichodesmium erythraeum. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:18099-18109. [PMID: 30217820 PMCID: PMC6254336 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.001929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Atmospheric nitrogen fixation by photosynthetic cyanobacteria (diazotrophs) strongly influences oceanic primary production and in turn affects global biogeochemical cycles. Species of the genus Trichodesmium are major contributors to marine diazotrophy, accounting for a significant proportion of the fixed nitrogen in tropical and subtropical oceans. However, Trichodesmium spp. are metabolically constrained by the availability of iron, an essential element for both the photosynthetic apparatus and the nitrogenase enzyme. Survival strategies in low-iron environments are typically poorly characterized at the molecular level, because these bacteria are recalcitrant to genetic manipulation. Here, we studied a homolog of the iron deficiency-induced A (IdiA)/ferric uptake transporter A (FutA) protein, Tery_3377, which has been used as an in situ iron-stress biomarker. IdiA/FutA has an ambiguous function in cyanobacteria, with its homologs hypothesized to be involved in distinct processes depending on their cellular localization. Using signal sequence fusions to GFP and heterologous expression in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, we show that Tery_3377 is targeted to the periplasm by the twin-arginine translocase and can complement the deletion of the native Synechocystis ferric-iron ABC transporter periplasmic binding protein (FutA2). EPR spectroscopy revealed that purified recombinant Tery_3377 has specificity for iron in the Fe3+ state, and an X-ray crystallography–determined structure uncovered a functional iron substrate–binding domain, with Fe3+ pentacoordinated by protein and buffer ligands. Our results support assignment of Tery_3377 as a functional FutA subunit of an Fe3+ ABC transporter but do not rule out dual IdiA function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despo Polyviou
- From the Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Moritz M Machelett
- From the Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom,; the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom, and
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- From the Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Alison J Baylay
- From the Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Fraser MacMillan
- the School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - C Mark Moore
- From the Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas S Bibby
- From the Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Ivo Tews
- the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom, and.
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31
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Proctor MS, Chidgey JW, Shukla MK, Jackson PJ, Sobotka R, Hunter CN, Hitchcock A. Plant and algal chlorophyll synthases function in Synechocystis and interact with the YidC/Alb3 membrane insertase. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:3062-3073. [PMID: 30107031 PMCID: PMC6175206 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the terminal enzyme of chlorophyll biosynthesis, chlorophyll synthase (ChlG), forms a complex with high light‐inducible proteins, the photosystem II assembly factor Ycf39 and the YidC/Alb3/OxaI membrane insertase, co‐ordinating chlorophyll delivery with cotranslational insertion of nascent photosystem polypeptides into the membrane. To gain insight into the ubiquity of this assembly complex in higher photosynthetic organisms, we produced functional foreign chlorophyll synthases in a cyanobacterial host. Synthesis of algal and plant chlorophyll synthases allowed deletion of the otherwise essential native cyanobacterial gene. Analysis of purified protein complexes shows that the interaction with YidC is maintained for both eukaryotic enzymes, indicating that a ChlG‐YidC/Alb3 complex may be evolutionarily conserved in algae and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Proctor
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of SheffieldUK
| | - Jack W. Chidgey
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of SheffieldUK
| | - Mahendra K. Shukla
- Institute of MicrobiologyCzech Academy of SciencesCenter AlgatechTřeboňCzech Republic
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Philip J. Jackson
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of SheffieldUK
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringChELSI InstituteUniversity of SheffieldUK
| | - Roman Sobotka
- Institute of MicrobiologyCzech Academy of SciencesCenter AlgatechTřeboňCzech Republic
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of SheffieldUK
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of SheffieldUK
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32
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Saper G, Kallmann D, Conzuelo F, Zhao F, Tóth TN, Liveanu V, Meir S, Szymanski J, Aharoni A, Schuhmann W, Rothschild A, Schuster G, Adir N. Live cyanobacteria produce photocurrent and hydrogen using both the respiratory and photosynthetic systems. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2168. [PMID: 29867170 PMCID: PMC5986869 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04613-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms perform solar energy conversion of water and CO2 to O2 and sugar at a broad range of wavelengths and light intensities. These cells also metabolize sugars using a respiratory system that functionally overlaps the photosynthetic apparatus. In this study, we describe the harvesting of photocurrent used for hydrogen production from live cyanobacteria. A non-harmful gentle physical treatment of the cyanobacterial cells enables light-driven electron transfer by an endogenous mediator to a graphite electrode in a bio-photoelectrochemical cell, without the addition of sacrificial electron donors or acceptors. We show that the photocurrent is derived from photosystem I and that the electrons originate from carbohydrates digested by the respiratory system. Finally, the current is utilized for hydrogen evolution on the cathode at a bias of 0.65 V. Taken together, we present a bio-photoelectrochemical system where live cyanobacteria produce stable photocurrent that can generate hydrogen. Biologically ### produced electrical currents and hydrogen are new energy sources. Here, the authors find that low presser microfluidizer treatment produced cyanobacterium that can utilize electrons from respiratory and photosynthesis to promote current and hydrogen generation, without the addition of exogenous electron mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gadiel Saper
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Dan Kallmann
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Felipe Conzuelo
- Analytical Chemistry - Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Fangyuan Zhao
- Analytical Chemistry - Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Tünde N Tóth
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel.,Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Varda Liveanu
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sagit Meir
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jedrzej Szymanski
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Research (IPK), Network Analysis and Modelling, OT Gatersleben, 06466, Seeland, Germany
| | - Asaph Aharoni
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Wolfgang Schuhmann
- Analytical Chemistry - Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Avner Rothschild
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gadi Schuster
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel. .,Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Noam Adir
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel. .,Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
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33
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Rowden SJL, Bombelli P, Howe CJ. Biophotovoltaics: Design and Study of Bioelectrochemical Systems for Biotechnological Applications and Metabolic Investigation. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1770:335-346. [PMID: 29978412 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7786-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biophotovoltaic methods rely on the fact that photosynthetic microorganisms, like many others, can export small amounts of electric current. For photosynthetic organisms, this current usually increases on illumination. This "exoelectrogenic" property may be of biotechnological interest, and may also provide useful experimental insights into the physiological status of the cell. We describe how to construct biophotovoltaic devices, and the kinds of measurements that are typically made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J L Rowden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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34
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Zhang JZ, Bombelli P, Sokol KP, Fantuzzi A, Rutherford AW, Howe CJ, Reisner E. Photoelectrochemistry of Photosystem II in Vitro vs in Vivo. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 140:6-9. [PMID: 28915035 PMCID: PMC5765535 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b08563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Factors
governing the photoelectrochemical output of photosynthetic
microorganisms are poorly understood, and energy loss may occur due
to inefficient electron transfer (ET) processes. Here, we systematically
compare the photoelectrochemistry of photosystem II (PSII) protein-films
to cyanobacteria biofilms to derive: (i) the losses in light-to-charge
conversion efficiencies, (ii) gains in photocatalytic longevity, and
(iii) insights into the ET mechanism at the biofilm interface. This
study was enabled by the use of hierarchically structured electrodes,
which could be tailored for high/stable loadings of PSII core complexes
and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells.
The mediated photocurrent densities generated by the biofilm were
2 orders of magnitude lower than those of the protein-film. This was
partly attributed to a lower photocatalyst loading as the rate of
mediated electron extraction from PSII in vitro is
only double that of PSII in vivo. On the other hand,
the biofilm exhibited much greater longevity (>5 days) than the
protein-film
(<6 h), with turnover numbers surpassing those of the protein-film
after 2 days. The mechanism of biofilm electrogenesis is suggested
to involve an intracellular redox mediator, which is released during
light irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Z Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna P Sokol
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Fantuzzi
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - A William Rutherford
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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35
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Saratale RG, Kuppam C, Mudhoo A, Saratale GD, Periyasamy S, Zhen G, Koók L, Bakonyi P, Nemestóthy N, Kumar G. Bioelectrochemical systems using microalgae - A concise research update. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 177:35-43. [PMID: 28284115 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Excess consumption of energy by humans is compounded by environmental pollution, the greenhouse effect and climate change impacts. Current developments in the use of algae for bioenergy production offer several advantages. Algal biomass is hence considered a new bio-material which holds the promise to fulfil the rising demand for energy. Microalgae are used in effluents treatment, bioenergy production, high value added products synthesis and CO2 capture. This review summarizes the potential applications of algae in bioelectrochemically mediated oxidation reactions in fully biotic microbial fuel cells for power generation and removal of unwanted nutrients. In addition, this review highlights the recent developments directed towards developing different types of microalgae MFCs. The different process factors affecting the performance of microalgae MFC system and some technological bottlenecks are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rijuta Ganesh Saratale
- Research Institute of Biotechnology and Medical Converged Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Chandrasekar Kuppam
- School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Ackmez Mudhoo
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, 80837, Mauritius
| | - Ganesh Dattatraya Saratale
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Sivagurunathan Periyasamy
- Center for Materials Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Guangyin Zhen
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Rd. 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - László Koók
- Research Institute on Bioengineering, Membrane Technology and Energetics, University of Pannonia, Egyetem ut 10, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Péter Bakonyi
- Research Institute on Bioengineering, Membrane Technology and Energetics, University of Pannonia, Egyetem ut 10, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Nándor Nemestóthy
- Research Institute on Bioengineering, Membrane Technology and Energetics, University of Pannonia, Egyetem ut 10, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Gopalakrishnan Kumar
- Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Environment Research Group, Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
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36
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Schuergers N, Werlang C, Ajo-Franklin CM, Boghossian AA. A Synthetic Biology Approach to Engineering Living Photovoltaics. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2017; 10:1102-1115. [PMID: 28694844 PMCID: PMC5501249 DOI: 10.1039/c7ee00282c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to electronically interface living cells with electron accepting scaffolds is crucial for the development of next-generation biophotovoltaic technologies. Although recent studies have focused on engineering synthetic interfaces that can maximize electronic communication between the cell and scaffold, the efficiency of such devices is limited by the low conductivity of the cell membrane. This review provides a materials science perspective on applying a complementary, synthetic biology approach to engineering membrane-electrode interfaces. It focuses on the technical challenges behind the introduction of foreign extracellular electron transfer pathways in bacterial host cells and the past and future efforts to engineer photosynthetic organisms with artificial electron-export capabilities for biophotovoltaic applications. The article highlights advances in engineering protein-based, electron-exporting conduits in a model host organism, E. coli, before reviewing state-of-the-art biophotovoltaic technologies that use both unmodified and bioengineered photosynthetic bacteria with improved electron transport capabilities. A thermodynamic analysis is used to propose an energetically feasible pathway for extracellular electron transport in engineered cyanobacteria and identify metabolic bottlenecks amenable to protein engineering techniques. Based on this analysis, an engineered photosynthetic organism expressing a foreign, protein-based electron conduit yields a maximum theoretical solar conversion efficiency of 6-10% without accounting for additional bioengineering optimizations for light-harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Schuergers
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C. Werlang
- Interschool Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C. M. Ajo-Franklin
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Synthetic Biology Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - A. A. Boghossian
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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37
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Photosynthetic Microbial Fuel Cells. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 158:159-175. [PMID: 28070595 DOI: 10.1007/10_2016_48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
This chapter presents the current state of research on bioelectrochemical systems that include phototrophic organisms. First, we describe what is known of how phototrophs transfer electrons from internal metabolism to external substrates. This includes efforts to understand both the source of electrons and transfer pathways within cells. Second, we consider technological progress toward producing bio-photovoltaic devices with phototrophs. Efforts to improve these devices by changing the species included, the electrode surfaces, and chemical mediators are described. Finally, we consider future directions for this research field.
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38
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Halan B, Tschörtner J, Schmid A. Generating Electric Current by Bioartificial Photosynthesis. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 167:361-393. [PMID: 29224082 DOI: 10.1007/10_2017_44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abundant solar energy can be a sustainable source of energy. This chapter highlights recent advancements, challenges, and future scenarios in bioartificial photosynthesis, which is a new subset of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) and technologies. BES technologies exploit the catalytic interactions between biological moieties and electrodes. At the nexus of BES and photovoltaics, this review focuses on light-harvesting technologies based on bioartificial photosynthesis. Such technologies are promising because electrical energy is generated from sunlight and water without the need for additional organic feedstock. This review focuses on photosynthetic electron generation and transfer and compares the current status of bioartificial photosynthesis with other artificial systems that mimic the chemistry of photosynthetic energy transformation.The fundamental principles and the operation of functional units of bioartificial photosynthesis are addressed. Selected photobioelectrochemical systems employed to obtain light-driven electric currents from photosynthetic organisms are presented. The achievable current output and theoretical maxima are revisited by conceptualizing operational and process window techniques. Factors affecting overall photocurrent efficiency, performance limitations, and scaleup bottlenecks are highlighted in view of enhancing the energy conversion efficiency of photobioelectrochemical systems. To finish, the challenges associated with bioartificial photosynthetic technologies are outlined. Graphical Abstract Operational window for (bio-)artificial photosynthesis. Green circle in the upper right corner: development objective for research and engineering efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babu Halan
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jenny Tschörtner
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Schmid
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
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39
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Ciniciato GPMK, Ng FL, Phang SM, Jaafar MM, Fisher AC, Yunus K, Periasamy V. Investigating the association between photosynthetic efficiency and generation of biophotoelectricity in autotrophic microbial fuel cells. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31193. [PMID: 27502051 PMCID: PMC4977534 DOI: 10.1038/srep31193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells operating with autotrophic microorganisms are known as biophotovoltaic devices. It represents a great opportunity for environmentally-friendly power generation using the energy of the sunlight. The efficiency of electricity generation in this novel system is however low. This is partially reflected by the poor understanding of the bioelectrochemical mechanisms behind the electron transfer from these microorganisms to the electrode surface. In this work, we propose a combination of electrochemical and fluorescence techniques, giving emphasis to the pulse amplitude modulation fluorescence. The combination of these two techniques allow us to obtain information that can assist in understanding the electrical response obtained from the generation of electricity through the intrinsic properties related to the photosynthetic efficiency that can be obtained from the fluorescence emitted. These were achieved quantitatively by means of observed changes in four photosynthetic parameters with the bioanode generating electricity. These are the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), alpha (α), light saturation coefficient (Ek) and maximum rate of electron transfer (rETRm). The relationship between the increases in the current density collected by the bioanode to the decrease of the rETRm values in the photosynthetic pathway for the two microorganisms was also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo P M K Ciniciato
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, CB2 3RA Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fong-Lee Ng
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siew-Moi Phang
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Musoddiq Jaafar
- Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adrian C Fisher
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, CB2 3RA Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kamran Yunus
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, CB2 3RA Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vengadesh Periasamy
- Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Snow JT, Polyviou D, Skipp P, Chrismas NAM, Hitchcock A, Geider R, Moore CM, Bibby TS. Quantifying Integrated Proteomic Responses to Iron Stress in the Globally Important Marine Diazotroph Trichodesmium. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142626. [PMID: 26562022 PMCID: PMC4642986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichodesmium is a biogeochemically important marine cyanobacterium, responsible for a significant proportion of the annual 'new' nitrogen introduced into the global ocean. These non-heterocystous filamentous diazotrophs employ a potentially unique strategy of near-concurrent nitrogen fixation and oxygenic photosynthesis, potentially burdening Trichodesmium with a particularly high iron requirement due to the iron-binding proteins involved in these processes. Iron availability may therefore have a significant influence on the biogeography of Trichodesmium. Previous investigations of molecular responses to iron stress in this keystone marine microbe have largely been targeted. Here a holistic approach was taken using a label-free quantitative proteomics technique (MSE) to reveal a sophisticated multi-faceted proteomic response of Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101 to iron stress. Increased abundances of proteins known to be involved in acclimation to iron stress and proteins known or predicted to be involved in iron uptake were observed, alongside decreases in the abundances of iron-binding proteins involved in photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. Preferential loss of proteins with a high iron content contributed to overall reductions of 55-60% in estimated proteomic iron requirements. Changes in the abundances of iron-binding proteins also suggested the potential importance of alternate photosynthetic pathways as Trichodesmium reallocates the limiting resource under iron stress. Trichodesmium therefore displays a significant and integrated proteomic response to iron availability that likely contributes to the ecological success of this species in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T. Snow
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Stem Cell and Leukaemia Proteomics Laboratory, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Despo Polyviou
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Skipp
- Centre for Proteomic Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan A. M. Chrismas
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Clifton, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Geider
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - C. Mark Moore
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas S. Bibby
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Cheah YE, Zimont AJ, Lunka SK, Albers SC, Park SJ, Reardon KF, Peebles CA. Diel light:dark cycles significantly reduce FFA accumulation in FFA producing mutants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 compared to continuous light. ALGAL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Photosynthetic, respiratory and extracellular electron transport pathways in cyanobacteria. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2015; 1857:247-55. [PMID: 26498190 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have evolved elaborate electron transport pathways to carry out photosynthesis and respiration, and to dissipate excess energy in order to limit cellular damage. Our understanding of the complexity of these systems and their role in allowing cyanobacteria to cope with varying environmental conditions is rapidly improving, but many questions remain. We summarize current knowledge of cyanobacterial electron transport pathways, including the possible roles of alternative pathways in photoprotection. We describe extracellular electron transport, which is as yet poorly understood. Biological photovoltaic devices, which measure electron output from cells, and which have been proposed as possible means of renewable energy generation, may be valuable tools in understanding cyanobacterial electron transfer pathways, and enhanced understanding of electron transfer may allow improvements in the efficiency of power output. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Organization and dynamics of bioenergetic systems in bacteria, edited by Conrad Mullineaux.
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