Novel approaches to energize microbial biocatalysts

Abstract

The energization of microbial biocatalysts is a key issue for developing efficient and sustainable biotechnological processes. Semiconductor nanoparticles (SNs) that absorb light and transfer electrons (photoelectrons) to microbial cells act as artificial systems that can be used as suitable alternatives to the natural cell energization mechanisms.Challenges of SNs-biological hybrid systems are presented and future prospects in the field are discussed.

[FeFe]-Hydrogenase Encapsulated in Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (ZIF)-8 Nanoparticles as a Robust Biocatalyst for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

“…Long-period evolution endows organisms with the capability to convert abundant simple substrates (H 2 O, CO 2 , and N 2 ) into diverse and more complex molecules through specific mechanisms of individual biocatalytic enzymes . Due to their capacity to operate at nearly ambient temperatures and pressures in an aqueous environment, biocatalysts are gaining more attention as key components of solar-to-chemical conversion systems for synthesizing valuable products such as H 2 , alcohol, acetic acid, and ammonia. , Generally, biocatalysts are classified into two types: free enzymes and whole cells . Although free enzymes can directly receive excited electrons and possess higher catalytic activities compared with whole-cell biocatalysts, they are very delicate in adverse environments, limiting their reuse and long-term and large-scale applications.…”