Generating electrical power by coupling aerobic microbial photosynthesis to an electron-harvesting system

全球能源需求持续增长，推动需求以不可持续的速度增长。虽然转换到不同类型的化石燃料是可能的，但它将导致额外的二氧化碳释放，从而加速全球变暖。在过去的30年里，以自我可持续的方式产生能源的生物方法主要集中在两大领域：(1)微生物燃料电池（MFCs）和(2)氢的生物生产。mfc从有机化合物和/或废水的氧化中收集电力。氢是由绿藻或蓝藻通过生物光解作用分解水而产生的。PI和合作者正在提出第三种方法——通过光合作用与光合微生物燃料电池（pmfc）中的电子收集系统耦合，由蓝藻直接产生电能。这种新颖的方法比以前的策略有优势，因为它承诺直接生产电力，并以一种自我可持续的方式，只使用太阳能。这项研究的目的是评估一种新概念的可行性，该概念旨在通过将蓝藻光合作用与电子收集系统相结合，在太阳能pmfc中发电。为了实现这一目标，将构建含有蓝藻培养物的pmfc，并使用电化学测试评估其性能。这项工作将扩大我们对利用太阳能机制的认识。拟议的研究可能会促进以自我可持续的方式生产可再生能源的新技术的发展。此外，这项工作还将扩展我们对微生物之间电子转移的认识，这可能是细菌群落内能量共享的新机制。拟议的研究解决了人类社会在不久的将来将面临的两个最紧迫的危机——缺乏能源和全球变暖。除了研究本身的潜在效用外，目前的项目将为高中学生和教师提供很大的教育机会。关于太阳能pmfc的研究将被整合到科学技术项目的学习模块中。科学技术项目是马里兰大学生物技术研究所为马里兰州和附近各州的高中学生和教师开展的一个不断扩大的项目。通过以pmfc为基础的学习模块，学生们将了解到使用替代能源以自我可持续、无二氧化碳的方式发电的新概念。

CBET-0827602BaskakovEnergy needs in the world continue to increase, driving demand at an unsustainable pace. While switching to different types of fossil fuels is possible, it will cause additional releases of carbon dioxide that will accelerate global warming. For the last 30 years, biological approaches for generating energy in a self-sustainable manner have been focused on two large areas: (1) microbial fuel cells (MFCs), and (2) biological production of hydrogen. MFCs harvest electricity from oxidation of organic compounds and/or waste waters. Hydrogen is produced by green algae or cyanobacteria by splitting water through biophotolysis. The PI and collaborators is proposing a third approach - direct generation of electrical power by cyanobacteria through coupling of photosynthesis to an electron-harvesting system in Photosynthetic Microbial Fuel Cells (PMFCs). This novel approach offers advantages over previous strategies, as it promises to produce electrical power directly and in a self-sustainable manner using only the energy of sunlight. The objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of a new concept that aims to produce electricity in solar-powered PMFCs through coupling cyanobacterial photosynthesis with an electron-harvesting system. Toward this goal, PMFCs containing cyanobacterial cultures will be constructed and their performance will be evaluated using electrochemical tests. This work will expand our knowledge on mechanisms for harnessing solar energy. The proposed study is likely to catalyze the development of new technologies for generating renewable energy in a self sustainable manner. In addition, this work will also extend our knowledge on electron transfer between microorganisms, a possible new mechanism of energy sharing within bacterial communities.The proposed study addresses two of the most urgent crises that human society will be facing in the near future - lack of energy and global warming. In addition to the potential utility of the research itself, the current project will provide great educational opportunities for high school students and teachers. The studies on solar-powered PMFCs will be integrated into learning modules of the SciTech program, a growing outreach program conducted by the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute for high school students and teachers from Maryland and nearby states. Through a PMFC-based learning module, the students will be introduced to a new concept of generating energy in a self-sustainable, CO2-free manner using alternative energy sources.