New technology for photosynthetic life fusion

The secret of plants is to convert radiation energy into chemical energy in the process of photosynthesis.
Now scientists hope to manually intervene in this process to accumulate more energy
.

In a new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, lead author Kristin Lewis and her Arizona State University colleagues describe a patented hybrid device that is part living organism, part biological Batteries, which generate stored energy by increasing the flow of energy under light conditions where natural photosynthesis is normally inhibited
.

Advances in such technologies offer green pathways to the production of many useful products, including transportation fuels, agrochemicals, therapeutics, cosmetics, plastics and specialty chemicals, and human and animal supplements
.

The new study shows that modified photosynthetic microbes -- in this case, cyanobacteria -- can acquire electrons from external sources and use those electrons to power chemical reactions that could eventually be used in human applications
.

The researchers call this method microbial electrophotosynthesis (MEPS)

"This project will demystify energy transfer
.

Specifically, we aim to bridge the gap between artificial energy and natural photosynthesis by exploiting the second half of the electron transport chain in photosynthesis,

Lewis is a fellow at the Center for Applied Structural Discovery Biodesign (CASD), the Sweet Center for Environmental Biotechnology (EB), and Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences (SMS)
.

Photosynthesis 2.

0

The fundamentals of natural photosynthesis include several key components: water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide
.

Photosynthetic cells act as miniature factories that produce glucose, which is then converted into ATP, the cell's primary energy currency

While photosynthesis is well suited to meet the energy needs of plants and other photosynthetic organisms, the rate at which light is converted into useful chemical energy is too low to meet the energy needs of humans today
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Researchers have long sought ways to harness natural photosynthesis, while also improving it, to find carbon-neutral energy solutions

working with nature

There are several important constraints on the energy conversion efficiency of natural photosynthesis
.

First, photosynthetic organisms use only a small part of the spectrum emitted by the sun, the red visible light

Finally, photosynthetic organisms can only handle a limited number of solar-excited electrons at a time
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If the electron transport chain is fed too much at one time, the process stops due to photodamage, rendering the cell incapacitated or dead

In the new study, the MEPS system is described using a transgenic cyanobacteria connected to an external cathode
.

The cyanobacteria used were recreated in Wim Vermaas' lab to carry out the photosynthetic cycle of electrons in the absence of photosystem II components

With the help of chemical mediators, electrons shuttle from the cathode of the device to the electron transport chain of the cyanobacteria
.

Since photosystem II, which is susceptible to light, is eliminated, the photosynthetic process occurs through another pathway, namely through photosystem
I.

This result confirms that photosynthesis can indeed take place by donating an external electron to the electron transport chain, and it can take place in the presence of ultra-high-intensity light
.

"One of my first tasks as part of the team was to find the right electrochemical medium to move the electrons into the battery, and I think most importantly, we realized that we've mitigated some of the Syncystis (cyanobacteria) The bigger confinement is to remove photosystem II for the system and give them electrons from the electrodes
.
"

sustainable future

MEPS systems may leverage existing solar cells to provide the external electrons needed to power photosynthetic reactions
.
Optoelectronics can provide electrons with wavelengths from zero all the way to thousands of nanometers, providing a wider spectrum of spectral lines than usual natural photosynthesis
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The six-year project represents a grand union of scientific disciplines including microbiology, engineering, biochemistry, electrochemistry, photochemistry and physics
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This research has been an exciting focus with Lewis' presentations at various conferences, where her research has received many important awards, including the 2021 North American International Society for Electrochemical Microbiology Conference Best Oral Presentation Award, 2021 East Best Poster Award at Regional Photosynthesis Conference, 2019 Nature Conference Energy Award, 2019 Gordon Research Conference Award and 2018 Biodesign Fusion Conference Marie Curie Award
.

"By 2050, as global expansion accelerates, our energy demand will exceed supply
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However, we can take action now and learn how to deliver more efficient and cleaner energy," Lewis said
.
"My goal is to contribute to the next breakthrough and help make this giant blue marble even better
.
"

Electrochemically Driven Photosynthetic Electron Transport in Cyanobacteria Lacking Photosystem II