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Conversion of solar energy into electrical current by photosynthetic organisms has the potential to produce clean energy. Previously reported living-organism based bio-photoelectrochemical cells (BPECs) have utilized unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms. In this study, we describe for the first time BPECs that utilize intact live marine macroalgae (seaweeds) in saline buffer or natural seawater. The BPECs produce photoelectrical currents of > 50 mA/cm2, with a dark current reduced by only 50%, values that are significantly greater than the current densities reported for single-cell microorganisms. The photocurrent is inhibited by the Photosystem II inhibitor DCMU, indicating that the source of light-driven electrons is from the oxygen evolution reaction. We show here that intact seaweed cultures can be used in a large-scale BPEC containing seawater that produces bias-free photocurrent. The ability to produce bioelectricity from intact seaweeds may pave the way to development of new live tissue based BPECs and establishment of future low-cost energy technologies.

The use of predesigned bioengineered proteins for self‐grown nanomaterials is a promising strategy that opens new scientific directions for biotic‐abiotic nano‐bio hybrid configurations. The unique properties of nanomaterials can alter the original biological paradigm to allow novel metabolic routes or new activation triggers. In this work, we present a synthetic methodology for self‐grown cadmium sulfide quantum dots in a 12‐mer bioengineered stable protein 1 under ambient conditions. The sized controlled crystalline QDs are characterized and utilized for NADPH regeneration that is in turn used for the activation of the imine reductase enzyme. The presented nano‐bio hybrid system enables the production of a single enantiomeric product that is required for the pharmaceutical industry. Our designed system presents superior activity and can continuously operate for at least 22 hrs with 82 % conversion efficiency. The obtained results may lay the foundations for future nano‐bio hybrid systems that can operate both in vitro and in vivo.

We report the biosynthesis of size confined palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs). The 2-3 nm size Pd-NPs were grown in 12-mer protein stable protein 1 (SP1), which serves as a template for...