Nanoengineering of bacteria to sense and control bioelectricity

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are capable of converting electrical energy into chemical energy and vice-versa by employing microbes as catalysts. In this project, we will address one of the limitations of traditional BESs; the low efficiency of electron transfer to and from the bacterial respiratory chain to the surface of the electrodes. To improve the electron flow, we will explore routes that propose to couple of bacteria to electrodes by surface expressed proteins and artificial conductive nanowires such as carbon nanotubes. This will form technology that electrical couples cells, by bridging the redox machinery of the bacteria to a conducting substrate within a BES system. Thereby enhancing electron transfer processes in a microbial fuel cell. We will use a synthetic biology approach to initiate biofilm formation on electrodes and establish a direct electron-conducting link between bacteria and the electrode surface. We will adapt these systems for use in bacteria species for the remote control of our engineered synthetic pathways in a fuel-cell-based bioreactor.