Nanowerk July 28, 2023
Semiconductor-based biointerfaces are typically established either on the surface of the plasma membrane or within the cytoplasm. In Gram-negative bacteria, the periplasmic space, characterized by its confinement and the presence of numerous enzymes and peptidoglycans, offers additional opportunities for biomineralization, allowing for nongenetic modulation interfaces. A team of researchers in the US (University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewal Energy Laboratory) demonstrated semiconductor nanocluster precipitation containing single- and multiple-metal elements within the periplasm. The periplasmic semiconductors were metastable and displayed defect-dominant fluorescent properties. The defect-rich (i.e., the low-grade) semiconductor nanoclusters produced in situ could still increase adenosine triphosphate levels and malate production when coupled with photosensitization. They expand the sustainability levels of the biohybrid system to include reducing heavy metals at the primary level, building living bioreactors at the secondary level, and creating semi-artificial photosynthesis at the tertiary level. According to the researchers biomineralization-enabled periplasmic biohybrids have the potential to serve as defect-tolerant platforms for diverse sustainable applications… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Periplasmic semiconductor biointerface may couple with electron transport chain for semi-artificial photosynthesis. Credit: SCIENCE ADVANCES, 21 Jul 2023, Vol 9, Issue 29