Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2024 Conference (MATSUS24)
Publication date: 18th December 2023
The development of sustainable technology to produce chemicals while maintaining net-zero climate goals is currently at the forefront of scientific research. One promising method of producing chemicals sustainably is semi-artificial photosynthesis. In this approach, anaerobic ‘electric’ microbes are paired with artificial light absorbers (semiconductors) to convert abundant molecules, including N2, CO2, and water, into value-added products driven by sunlight. This mimics the natural photosynthetic process. Multi-carbon (C2+) chemicals and ammonia can be produced photosynthetically at record efficiencies and with high selectivity. These chemicals are extremely valuable as feedstocks. This presentation focuses on overcoming the bottlenecks by using spectroscopic, microscopic, and synthetic biology tools to elucidate the kinetics of charge transfer between microbial cell membranes and the conduction band of the semiconductor. We are incorporating a variety of electrotrophs (including Sporomusa ovata, Geobacter sulfurreducens, and Methanosarcina acetivorans) as living microbial electrocatalysts with carbon electrodes and mixed-metal oxide photoelectrodes to drive (photo)electrochemical CO2 utilisation. Unraveling the interactions at the biointerface (electron transfer / indirect H2 uptake) will allow for an increase in solar-to-chemical (STC) efficiencies, which is needed before systems can be feasibly used on an industrial scale.
C.B. thanks S.K. and E.A.G for the excellent supervision of the project. C.B. acknowledges BBSRC funding through BISCOP CTP. C.B. thanks Dr Linsey Fuller (Procter & Gamble) for industrial supervison.
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