Electrical energy storage with engineered biological systems

Salimijazi, Farshid; Parra, Erika; Barstow, Buz

doi:10.1186/s13036-019-0162-7

Cited by 32 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 154 publications

(193 reference statements)

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“…While the number of electrons needed to produce a molecule of fuel is higher, the whole-cell voltage in an EET-mediated system is lower than in a H 2 -mediated system (∆U cell ≥ 1.23 V for H 2 but only ≥ 0.92 V for EET) as the redox potential of Mtr is much lower than H 2 [26]. Furthermore, the bias voltages at lab-scale remain approximately the same [7], meaning more total current is available to an EET-mediated system. However, EET-mediated electromicrobial production is approximately twice as sensitive to changes in transmembrane voltage than a H 2 -mediated system (Fig.…”

Section: Eet Matches the Efficiency Of H 2 And Can Achieve High Efficiencies At Small Scalesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…We are moving towards a world of plentiful renewable electricity [1][2][3]. However, to enable high penetration of renewables onto the grid, energy storage with a capacity thousands of times greater than today's will be essential [4][5][6][7]. Despite significant advances in electrified transportation, the need for hydrocarbons in many applications like aviation could persist and even grow for decades to come [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, the need to sequester tens of gigatonnes of CO 2 per year will also continue to grow [8,9]. Electromicrobial production (EMP) technologies that combine biological and electronic components have the potential to use renewable electricity to power the capture and sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 and convert it into high-density, non-volatile infrastructurecompatible transportation fuels [7,[10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Constraints on the Efficiency of Electromicrobial Production

Salimijazi

Kim

Schmitz

et al. 2020

Preprint

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10Electromicrobial production technologies (EMP) aim to combine renewable electricity and micro-11 bial metabolism. We have constructed molecular to reactor scale models of EMP systems using 12 H 2 -oxidation and extracellular electron transfer (EET). We predict the electrical-to-biofuel con-13 version efficiency could rise to ≥ 52% with in vivo CO 2 -fixation. H 2 and EET-mediated EMP 14 both need reactors with high surface areas. H 2 -diffusion at ambient pressure requires areas 20 to 15 2,000 times that of the solar photovoltaic (PV) supplying the system. Agitation can reduce this 16 to less than the PV area, and the power needed becomes negligible when storing ≥ 1.1 megawatts. 17EET-mediated systems can be built that are ≤ 10 times the PV area and have minimal resistive 18 energy losses if a conductive extracellular matrix (ECM) with a resistivity and height seen in nat-19 ural conductive biofilms is used. The system area can be reduced to less than the PV area if the 20 ECM conductivity and height are increased to those of conductive artificial polymers. Schemes 21 that use electrochemical CO 2 -fixation could achieve electrical-to-fuel efficiencies of almost 50% 22 with no complications of O 2 -sensitivity. 23 1 Introduction 24 We are moving towards a world of plentiful renewable electricity [1][2][3]. However, to enable high 25 penetration of renewables onto the grid, energy storage with a capacity thousands of times greater 26 * Corresponding author 1 than today's will be essential [4][5][6][7]. Despite significant advances in electrified transportation, the 27 need for hydrocarbons in many applications like aviation could persist and even grow for decades 28 to come [3]. Likewise, the need to sequester tens of gigatonnes of CO 2 per year will also con-29 tinue to grow [8, 9]. Electromicrobial production (EMP) technologies that combine biological and 30 electronic components have the potential to use renewable electricity to power the capture and 31 sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 and convert it into high-density, non-volatile infrastructure-32 compatible transportation fuels [7,[10][11][12]. 33 One of the most successful demonstrations of electromicrobial production to date, the Bionic 34 Leaf [13, 14], is capable of converting solar power to the biofuel isopropanol at efficiencies ex-35 ceeding the theoretical maximum of C 3 and C 4 photosynthesis [15, 16]. If coupled to some of the 36 most efficient Si or GaAs solar photovoltaics (PVs) [17], the Bionic Leaf could even outperform 37 cyanobacterial photosynthesis, the most efficient form found in nature [18]. However, the energy 38 storage cost of photosynthesis is ultra-low [19, 20]. Any system that aims to supplant photosyn-39 thesis will need to dramatically exceed its efficiency, its convenience and preferably both. 40To date, no one has systematically explored the constraints on the efficiency of electromicrobial 41 production systems. Here we present a model for comparing the theoretical efficiencies of systems 42 that supply electron...

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Section: Eet Matches the Efficiency Of H 2 And Can Achieve High Efficiencies At Small Scalesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Constraints on the Efficiency of Electromicrobial Production

Salimijazi

Kim

Schmitz

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Electromicrobial production technologies aim to combine the flexibility of CO2-fixing and C1assimilating microbial metabolism for the synthesis of complex, energy dense organic molecules from CO2 and renewable electricity [1][2][3][4][5][6] . Already, the Bionic Leaf device has demonstrated that technologies of this class could dramatically exceed the efficiency of photosynthesis 7,8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of a Pathway for Electron Uptake in Shewanella oneidensis

Rowe

Salimijazi

Trutschel

et al. 2021

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Extracellular electron transfer (EET) could enable electron uptake into microbial metabolism for the synthesis of complex, energy dense organic molecules from CO2 and renewable electricity1-6 . EET could do this with an efficiency comparable to H2 -oxidation7,8 but without the need for a volatile intermediate and the problems it causes for scale up9. However, naturally occurring electroactive organisms suffer from a number of technical drawbacks. Correcting these will require extensive knowledge of the genetics and mechanisms of electron uptake. To date, studies of electron uptake in electroactive microbes have focused on shared molecular machinery also used for anaerobic mineral reduction, like the Mtr EET complex in the electroactive microbe Shewanella oneidensis MR-110-14. However, this shared machinery cannot explain all features of electron uptake, hindering efforts to engineer electron uptake. To address this, we screened gene disruption mutants for 3,667 genes, representing ≈ 99% of all non-essential genes, from the S. oneidensis whole genome knockout collection using a redox dye oxidation assay as a proxy for electron uptake. Confirmation of electron uptake using electrochemical testing allowed us to identify five genes from S. oneidensis that are indispensable for electron uptake from a cathode. Knockout of each gene eliminates extracellular electron uptake, yet in 4 of the 5 cases produces no significant defect in electron donation to an anode, highlighting a distinct role for these loci in electron uptake vs. donation. This result highlights an electronic connection between aerobic and anaerobic electron transport chains that allow electrons from the reversible EET machinery to be coupled to different respiratory processes in S. oneidensis. Furthermore, we find homologs to these genes across many different genera suggesting that electron uptake by EET coupled to respiration could be a widespread phenomenon. These gene discoveries provide a foundation for studying this phenotype in exotic metal-oxidizing autotrophic microbes. Additionally, we anticipate that the characterization of these genes will allow for the genetic improvement of electron uptake in S. oneidensis; and genetically engineering electron uptake into a highly tractable host like E. coli to complement recent advances in synthetic CO2 fixation15.

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“…A significant advancement in the groundwork and processing of multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials has resulted into the energy storage solutions to address the different challenges. These challenges include high energy and power densities, high power conversion efficiency, long-term stability, and low-cost processes (Zhao et al 2018;Seok et al 2019;Salimijazi et al 2019). The hybridization of these nanomaterials can lead to unique superior multifunction and thus offers the industrial applications in chemical and biological sensing, heterogeneous catalysis, energy conversion and storage, environment, and human health Hu et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%