Photosynthesis provides energy for the vast majority of life on Earth. But chlorophyll, the green pigment that plants use to harvest sunlight, is relatively inefficient. To enable humans to capture more of the sun’s energy than natural photosynthesis can, scientists have taught bacteria to cover themselves in tiny, highly efficient solar panels to produce useful compounds.
The researchers are presenting their work today at the 254th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
“Rather than rely on inefficient chlorophyll to harvest sunlight, I’ve taught bacteria how to grow and cover their bodies with tiny semiconductor nanocrystals,” says Kelsey K. Sakimoto, Ph.D., who carried out the research in the lab of Peidong Yang, Ph.D. “These nanocrystals are much more efficient than chlorophyll and can be grown at a fraction of the cost of manufactured solar panels.”
Humans increasingly are looking to find alternatives to fossil fuels as sources of energy and feedstocks for chemical production. Many scientists have worked to create artificial photosynthetic systems to generate renewable energy and simple organic chemicals using sunlight. Progress has been made, but the systems are not efficient enough for commercial production of fuels and feedstocks.
Research in Yang’s lab at the University of California, Berkeley, where Sakimoto earned his Ph.D., focuses on harnessing inorganic semiconductors that can capture sunlight to organisms such as bacteria that can then use the energy to produce useful chemicals from carbon dioxide and water. “The thrust of research in my lab is to essentially ‘supercharge’ nonphotosynthetic bacteria by providing them energy in the form of electrons from inorganic semiconductors, like cadmium sulfide, that are efficient light absorbers,” Yang says. “We are now looking for more benign light absorbers than cadmium sulfide to provide bacteria with energy from light.”
Sakimoto worked with a naturally occurring, nonphotosynthetic bacterium, Moorella thermoacetica, which, as part of its normal respiration, produces acetic acid from carbon dioxide (CO2). Acetic acid is a versatile chemical that can be readily upgraded to a number of fuels, polymers, pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals through complementary, genetically engineered bacteria.
When Sakimoto fed cadmium and the amino acid cysteine, which contains a sulfur atom, to the bacteria, they synthesized cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles, which function as solar panels on their surfaces. The hybrid organism, M. thermoacetica-CdS, produces acetic acid from CO2, water and light. “Once covered with these tiny solar panels, the bacteria can synthesize food, fuels and plastics, all using solar energy,” Sakimoto says. “These bacteria outperform natural photosynthesis.”
The bacteria operate at an efficiency of more than 80 percent, and the process is self-replicating and self-regenerating, making this a zero-waste technology. “Synthetic biology and the ability to expand the product scope of CO2 reduction will be crucial to poising this technology as a replacement, or one of many replacements, for the petrochemical industry,” Sakimoto says.
So, do the inorganic-biological hybrids have commercial potential? “I sure hope so!” he says. “Many current systems in artificial photosynthesis require solid electrodes, which is a huge cost. Our algal biofuels are much more attractive, as the whole CO2-to-chemical apparatus is self-contained and only requires a big vat out in the sun.” But he points out that the system still requires some tweaking to tune both the semiconductor and the bacteria. He also suggests that it is possible that the hybrid bacteria he created may have some naturally occurring analog. “A future direction, if this phenomenon exists in nature, would be to bioprospect for these organisms and put them to use,” he says.
Learn more: Cyborg bacteria outperform plants when turning sunlight into useful compounds
The Latest on: Cyborg bacteria
[google_news title=”” keyword=”cyborg bacteria” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
- Understanding bacteria protection in order to break through iton April 18, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a growing problem when it comes to combatting infections. Bacteria that have an additional protective layer to their cell walls — a type known as “Gram-negative” in ...
- Controllable Cyborg Cockroaches Capable of Traversing Complex Terrains, Created by Scientistson April 17, 2024 at 5:03 pm
A new study in Singapore has created controllable cyborg cockroaches by having the living insects wear mini computer backpacks. The study aims to prove how living insects can remedy conventional ...
- Mutated Strains of Unknown Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found Lurking on ISSon April 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Photo: NASA The International Space Station (ISS) is home to crews of astronauts conducting research in low Earth orbit, but it also hosts a group of mutated bacteria that are thriving under the ...
- Soil bacteria link their life strategies to soil conditions: Studyon April 16, 2024 at 5:01 pm
Soil bacteria help regulate the cycling of carbon and nutrients on Earth. Over time, these bacteria have evolved strategies that determine where they live, what they do, and how they deal with a ...
- Foodborne Bacteria Have 'Vampiric' Lust for Bloodon April 16, 2024 at 11:02 am
Some of the world's deadliest bacteria appear to have a taste for human blood, a new study has found. Researchers have called this phenomenon "bacterial vampirism." It offers new insights into the ...
- Watch a swarm of cyborg cockroaches controlled by computerson April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
A swarm of remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches can navigate to a target location while avoiding obstacles and each other. Researchers say such swarms could be contained inside large robots and ...
- Cyborg Mechanicon April 13, 2024 at 3:07 am
All the Latest Game Footage and Images from Cyborg Mechanic Become a cyborg surgeon mechanic in shady and absurd cyberpunk underworld. Diagnose your clients, cut off limbs and remove organs ...
- New approach for combating 'resting' bacteriaon April 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick. But just as dangerous as this rapid growth can be a ...
- Ancient teeth rarely have a cavity-causing bacteria commonly seen today. A new study reveals whyon March 27, 2024 at 11:28 am
Two teeth from a man who lived approximately 4,000 years ago have been discovered to have an abundance of bacteria that primarily cause tooth decay and gum disease. The rare find could help ...
via Google News and Bing News