Understanding the Mechanism of Transmembrane Electron Transfer and its Influence on Intercellular Communication and Biofilm Diversification
Project Leader(s)
UC Santa Barbara
Research Focus Area
Synthetic oligoelectrolytes with electronically delocalized structures serve as amphiphilic molecular wires that spontaneously insert into bilayer membranes into ordered orientations such that transmembrane electron transfer can be greatly accelerated. These molecular wires can be employed to induce more intimate electronic interaction between microorganisms and electrodes for a variety of novel technologies, which include electrical energy production from wastewater and the bioelectrosynthesis of fine chemicals.
This project concerns how to change the electronic properties of common microorganisms, such as yeast and bacteria. Essentially, molecular wires have developed that insert into membranes and allow the microorganisms to be incorporated into bioelectronic devices. Improvements have been reported in the ability to extract energy from wastewater and affect microbial production of commercially relevant metabolites.
Date Completed
