Enhancing and Redirecting Cyanobacterial Electron Flow (Bioelectricity Spotlight)

The movement of electrons within cells is fundamental to life and drives the processes happening inside cells. For photosynthetic organisms, the movement of electrons can be powered by sunlight, and for all organisms, it can be powered by the metabolism of compounds in food. The electrons can be used within cells in the synthesis of useful compounds, while some of the electrons can leave the cells, resulting in electric currents that can be harvested and used as a source of renewable energy.

Previously, the project has shown this is possible with photosynthetic bacteria (also known as ‘blue-green algae’ and ‘cyanobacteria’). They can use sunlight to produce external electric currents, and these currents can be used to drive a microprocessor. The long-term aim of the project is to develop ways to increase the electrical currents produced by photosynthetic bacteria, inside the cell or outside. To do so, it will utilize a new-developed way of screening large numbers of photosynthetic bacterial cells for ones that have genetic changes increasing electron availability. This exciting step forward allows for the discovery of cells with improved electron availability without having to make assumptions in advance about how the process works. This project will be important for biotechnological exploitation of this ‘microbial electricity’, and also help answer biological questions about what limits the movement of electrons.