Single-Component Biohybrid Light-Emitting Diodes Using a White-Emitting Fused Protein

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Synthetic Biology
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Biohybrid light-emitting diodes (BioHLEDs) offer a sustainable alternative to traditional lighting.
• Developing stable and efficient white-light emitting components remains a key challenge for BioHLED technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a single-component white-emitting fluorescent protein (WFP) for color down-conversion in BioHLEDs.
• To integrate WFP into a polymer matrix for enhanced stability and tunable emission.
• To fabricate and characterize BioHLEDs utilizing the WFP coating.

Main Methods:

• Utilized synthetic biology to fuse red-, green-, and blue-emitting fluorescent proteins (FPs) via the protein superglue approach.
• Developed a thin color down-converting coating using a polymer matrix to encapsulate the WFP.
• Engineered the polymer matrix rigidity to control emission chromaticity and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).
• Fabricated BioHLED devices incorporating the WFP coating and evaluated their performance and stability.

Main Results:

• Achieved efficient and stable white emission from the single-component WFP through FRET between FP moieties.
• Demonstrated tunable emission chromaticity by altering the polymer matrix rigidity.
• Attained photoluminescence quantum yields of 26%, competitive with intrinsic white-emitting materials.
• Fabricated BioHLEDs with neutral white emission that remained stable for over 400 hours, setting a new benchmark for BioHLED stability.

Conclusions:

• Pioneering multidisciplinary approach successfully integrates synthetic biology, polymer chemistry, and device engineering.
• The developed WFP represents a significant advancement in creating tailored luminescent biomaterials for lighting.
• This work establishes a landmark for utilizing synthetic biology tools to design stable and efficient BioHLEDs for next-generation lighting applications.