A biocompatible surface display approach in Shewanella promotes current output efficiency

Area of Science:

• Bioelectrochemistry
• Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs)
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a promising avenue for sustainable energy and environmental remediation.
• Current MFCs face challenges in efficiency due to complex manufacturing and poor biocompatibility.
• Developing efficient and biocompatible bio-hybrid systems is crucial for advancing MFC technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple bio-inorganic hybrid system for enhanced bioelectricity generation.
• To improve the biocompatibility and efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
• To explore novel applications in electrochemical biosensing.

Main Methods:

• Engineered Shewanella oneidensis (S. oneidensis) MR-1 by expressing silver-binding peptide AgBP2 on its cell surface.
• Developed a biocompatible surface display approach for bio-inorganic hybrid systems.
• Investigated electrochemical sensitivity to silver ions (Ag+) and measured power density in engineered S. oneidensis.

Main Results:

• Engineered S. oneidensis exhibited a 60% increase in power density at low Ag+ concentrations (10 μM).
• Demonstrated enhanced electrochemical sensitivity to Ag+ in the engineered bacteria.
• Observed significant upregulation of cell surface negative charge, ATP metabolism, and NADH/NAD+ ratio.

Conclusions:

• The novel bio-inorganic hybrid system significantly enhances bioelectricity generation in S. oneidensis.
• This approach offers a biocompatible surface display strategy for advancing bio-hybrid MFCs.
• The engineered bacteria show potential for developing sensitive electrochemical biosensors for metal ion detection.