Cyanobacteria possess unique and exciting features among photosynthetic microorganisms for energy conversion applications. This study focuses on production of direct electricity using a cyanobacterium called Nostoc sp. (NOS) as a photo-biocatalyst immobilized on carbon nanotubes on the anode of photo-bioelectrochemical cells. By illuminating with light (intensity 76 mW cm(-2)) the NOS immobilized on a carbon nanotube (CNT) modified electrode generated a photocurrent density of 30 mA m(-2) at 0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The contribution of different photosynthetic pigments in NOS to the light capture was analyzed and chlorophyll-a was found to be the major contributor to light capture followed by phycocyanin. Further investigation using a set of inhibitors revealed that the electrons were redirected predominantly from PSII to the CNT through the plastoquinone pool and quinol oxidase. A rudimentary design photosynthetic electrochemical cell has been constructed using NOS/CNT on the anode and laccase/CNT on the cathode as catalysts. The cell generated a maximum current density of 250 mA m(-2) and a peak power density of 35 mW m(-2) without any mediator. By the addition of 1,4-benzoquinone as a redox mediator, the electricity generation capability was significantly enhanced with a current density of 2300 mA m(-2) and a power density of 100 mW m(-2). The power densities achieved in this work are the highest among 'non-engineered' cyanobacteria based electrochemical systems reported to date.

Photosynthetic energy conversion using natural systems is increasingly being investigated in the recent years. Photosynthetic microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria, exhibit light-dependent electrogenic characteristics in photo-bioelectrochemical cells (PBEC) that generate substantial photocurrents, yet the current densities are lower than their photovoltaic counterparts. Recently, we demonstrated that a cyanobacterium named Nostoc sp. employed in PBEC could generate up to 35 mW m(-2) even in a non-engineered PBEC. With the insights obtained from our previous research, a novel and successful attempt has been made in the current study to genetically engineer the cyanobacteria to further enhance its extracellular electron transfer. The cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 was genetically engineered to express a non-native redox protein called outer membrane cytochrome S (OmcS). OmcS is predominantly responsible for metal reducing abilities of exoelectrogens such as Geobacter sp. The engineered S. elongatus exhibited higher extracellular electron transfer ability resulting in approximately ninefold higher photocurrent generation on the anode of a PBEC than the corresponding wild-type cyanobacterium. This work highlights the scope for enhancing photocurrent generation in cyanobacteria, thereby benefiting faster advancement of the photosynthetic microbial fuel cell technology.

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Volatile organic compounds have been recognized as important marker chemicals to detect plant diseases caused by pathogens. Methyl salicylate has been identified as one of the most important volatile organic compounds released by plants during a biotic stress event such as fungal pathogen infection. Advanced detection of these marker chemicals could help in early identification of plant diseases and has huge significance for agricultural industry. This work describes the development of a novel bi-enzyme based electrochemical biosensor consisting of salicylate hydroxylase and tyrosinase enzymes immobilized on carbon nanotube modified electrodes. The amperometric detection using the bi-enzyme platform was realized through a series of cascade reactions that terminate in an electrochemical reduction reaction. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the sensitivity of the bi-enzyme sensor was 30.6±2.7µAcm(-2)µM(-1) and the limit of detection and limit of quantification were 13nM (1.80ppb) and 39nM (5.39ppb) respectively. Interference studies showed no significant interference from the other common plant volatile compounds. Synthetic analyte studies revealed that the bi-enzyme based biosensor can be used to reliably detect methyl salicylate released by unhealthy plants.

Cyanobacteria are used as anode catalysts in photo-bioelectrochemical cells to generate electricity in a sustainable, economic, and environmental friendly manner using only water and sunlight. Though cyanobacteria (CB) possess unique advantage for solar energy conversion by virtue of its robust photosynthesis, they cannot efficiently perform extracellular electron transfer (EET). The reasons being, unlike dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria (that are usually exploited in microbial fuel cells to generate electricity), (1) CB do not possess any special features on their outer membrane to carry out EET and, (2) the electrons generated in photosynthetic electron transport chain are channeled into competing respiratory pathways rather than to the anode. CB, genetically engineered to express outer membrane cytochrome S (OmcS), was found to generate ∼nine-fold higher photocurrent compared to that of wild-type cyanobacterium in our previous work. In this study, each of the three respiratory terminal oxidases in Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 namely bd-type quinol oxidase, aa -type cytochrome oxidase, and cbb -type cytochrome oxidase was knocked-out one at a time (cyd , cox , and cco respectively) and its contribution for extracellular ferricyanide reduction and photocurrent generation was investigated. The knock-out mutant lacking functional bd-type quinol oxidase (cyd ) exhibited greater EET by reducing more ferricyanide compared to other single knock-out mutants as well as the wild type. Further, cyd omcs (the cyd mutant expressing OmcS) was found to generate more photocurrent than the corresponding single knock out controls and the wild-type. This study clearly demonstrates that the bd-quinol oxidase diverted more electrons from the photosynthetic electron transport chain towards respiratory oxygen reduction and knocking it out had certainly enhanced the cyanobacterial EET.