Wired-up symbiotic multi-organism can turn sunlight and air into valuable proteins

An artificial biosystem comprising three microbes and a conductive polymer has been shown to produce proteins using sunlight, atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen more efficiently than natural organisms. The multi-organism approach could enable symbiotic microfactories that synthesise commercial biochemicals useful for agricultural, environmental, food and medical applications, say the researchers.

Individual microbe species have been used to produce natural products for decades. However, systems that artificially combine the different abilities of microorganisms to work together symbiotically could open up more environmentally-friendly and efficient production routes. The problem is that symbiotic relationships have limitations because the communication of electrons and chemicals between microbes is inefficient, resulting in low yields.