Turning Waste into Wealth—Microbe-Semiconductor Biohybrids for Sustainable Chemical Production

Semiconductors biohybrids, integrating the best of biological catalysts and semiconductor nanomaterials, holds promise for revolutionizing sustainable chemical production. Here, we present novel semiconductor biohybrids that integrate the capabilities of living cells with semiconductor materials to enable sustainable chemical production through efficient solar-to-chemical conversion. By exploiting the periplasmic space in Gram-negative bacteria, we achieve biomineralization of semiconductor nanoclusters, containing single- and multiple-metal elements. These periplasmic semiconductors are metastable and exhibit defect-dominant fluorescent properties, enhancing ATP levels and malate production under photosensitization. In a following study, we further explored the combination with engineered bacterial strain to facilitate the biosynthesis of functional semiconductor nanoparticles from heavy metal ions, sulfate, and organics present in wastewater. Life-cycle assessment indicates significant sustainability improvements over traditional methods. The biohybrids can turn waste into wealth and achieve sustainable chemical production combining material science and synthetic biology.