Recent advances in the improvement of bi-directional electron transfer between abiotic/biotic interfaces in electron-assisted biosynthesis system

Abstract

As an important biosynthesis technology, electron-assisted biosynthesis (EABS) system can utilize exogenous electrons to regulate the metabolic network of microorganisms, realizing the biosynthesis of high value-added chemicals and CO₂ fixation. Electrons play crucial roles as the energy carriers in the EABS process. In fact, efficient interfacial electron transfer (ET) is the decisive factor to realize the rapid energy exchange, thus stimulating the biosynthesis of target metabolic products. However, due to the interfacial resistance of ET between the abiotic solid electrode and biotic microbial cells, the low efficiency of interfacial ET has become a major bottleneck, further limiting the practical application of EABS system. As the cell membrane is insulated, even the cell membrane embedded electron conduit (no matter cytochromes or channel protein for shuttle transferring) to increase the cell membrane conductivity, the ET between membrane electron conduit and electrode surface is kinetically restricted. In this review, the pathway of bi-directional interfacial ET in EABS system was summarized. Furthermore, we reviewed representative milestones and advances in both the anode outward interfacial ET (from organism to electrode) and cathode inward interfacial ET (from electrode to organism). Here, new insights from the perspectives of material science and synthetic biology were also proposed, which were expected to provide some innovative opinions and ideas for the following in-depth studies.

Keywords: Abiotic/biotic interface; Bi-directional electron transfer; Electrode modification; Electron-assisted biosynthesis; Nanomaterials; Synthetic biology.