Special Biochemistry Seminar

Abstract:

Modern biotechnology is largely driven by genetic editing, yet the molecules we re-write must still obey the laws of physical chemistry. This talk asks a broader question: Can we program microbial population—and simultaneously unlock latent bulk properties of solids—by designing the rate-limiting electron- and ion-flux landscape at living microbe–material interfaces? I will present an in-vivo kinetic map that links the outer-membrane cytochromes of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to Li⁺ intercalation into spinel l-MnO₂ nanoparticles. By tuning this single bottleneck, the cells drive Li⁺ insertion (10 mA/g) while self-assembling into conductive bio-aggregates with bottom-up mechanism. The outcome is a positive-feedback "living cathode" that accelerates electron flow, matches the efficiency of conventional electrodes without their area and ohmic drop constraints, and enables environmentally friendly, low-energy, and scalable lithium recovery. The same electron-to-enzyme lever can be extended to capture other cations or to modulate bacterial viability and drug resistance, outlining a broader framework.