# US 2019/0376018 A1 · Microbial electro-photosynthesis

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- Number: US 2019/0376018 A1
- Document ID: US20190376018A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/539,961
- Filed: 2019-08-13
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-18
- Assignees: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
- Applicants: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
- Inventors: Justin Flory; Petra Fromme; Willem Vermaas; Bruce Rittman; Cesar Torres; Thomas Moore; Ana Moore
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190376018A1

## CPC

- C12M 35/02: {Electrical or electromagnetic means, e.g. for electroporation or for cell fusion}
- C12M 1/42: Apparatus for the treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves
- C12M 21/02: {Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12)}
- C12M 43/00: {Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus}
- C12N 1/12: Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00)
- C12N 13/00: Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus for growing photosynthetic organisms lacking Photosystem II (PSII) function using externally supplied electrons shuttled into the organism using redox mediators to improve photosynthetic output and to produce and recover chemicals of interest. By removing PSII, all PAR photons are funneled toward Photosystem I, thereby significantly increasing the theoretical photon utilization efficiency for CO2 fixation, energy storage and the capacity to synthesize valuable chemicals. Additional genetic modification can be performed to insert or enhance specific metabolic pathways to generate products of commercial interest.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microbial electrosynthesis cell apparatus comprising:
a photobioreactor;
a liquid disposed within the photobioreactor containing a microbe, wherein the microbe is a green sulfur bacterium, a green non-sulfur bacterium, a purple sulphur bacterium, a purple non-sulfur bacterium, a heliobacterium or an algae, comprising a mutation in a gene encoding a protein of Photosystem II (PSII), wherein PRI function in the microbe is minimal or absent;
an electrode unit comprising an anode and a cathode, wherein the electrode unit is in fluid communication with the photobioreactor;
a power source coupled to the electrode unit
wherein, a source of electrons is generated in the electrode unit; and
a redox mediator for shuttling electrons between the microbe and the cathode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the photobioreactor is selected from the group consisting of a vertical tubular, air-lift, horizontal tubular, flat-panel, or plastic-bag photobioreactor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the anode further comprises a catalyst to promote water oxidation to generate the electrons.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, platinum-carbon, cobalt phosphate, Co3O4 nanoparticles, and Co2O3 nanoparticles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cathode further comprises carbon felt or carbon fiber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source is a photovoltaic device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of electrons is provided by one or more of the group consisting of water oxidation, water electrolysis, hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide, the breakdown of organic waste, metal corrosion, cultures of anode respiring bacteria (ARB) and non-ARBs such as fermenters and methanogens that syntrophically breakdown organic waste.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrons are shuttled to the microbe using a redox mediator selected from the group consisting of duroquinone, trimethylquinone, 2,5 dimethylquinone, 2,6 dimethylquinone, 2,3 dimethylquinone, benzoquinone, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone, or ubiquinone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electrons are shuttled to the microbe using a redox mediator selected from the group consisting of a plastoquinone (PQ) variant, where the native isoprenoid tail of PQ is replaced with an alkyl tail of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 carbons.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electrons are shuttled to the microbe using a redox mediator selected from the group consisting of methylene blue, thionine, rezasurin or a protein redox mediator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the photovoltaic device is located beneath the photobioreactor and configured to produce electricity using the light not absorbed by the microbe.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode unit is configured to transfer reduced redox mediators into the photobioreactor and the photobioreactor is configured to transfer oxidized redox mediators back to the electrode unit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cathode is porous such that transfer of reduced redox mediators and oxidized redox mediators through the cathode occurs.