Semiartificial Photosynthetic Nanoreactors for H Generation.

A relatively unexplored energy source in synthetic cells is transmembrane electron transport, which like proton and ion transport can be light driven. Here, synthetic cells, called nanoreactors, are engineered for compartmentalized, semiartificial photosynthetic H production by a [FeFe]-hydrogenase (Hase). Transmembrane electron transfer into the nanoreactor was enabled by MtrCAB, a multiheme transmembrane protein from MR-1.

Engineering of bespoke photosensitiser-microbe interfaces for enhanced semi-artificial photosynthesis.

Biohybrid systems for solar fuel production integrate artificial light-harvesting materials with biological catalysts such as microbes. In this perspective, we discuss the rational design of the abiotic-biotic interface in biohybrid systems by reviewing microbes and synthetic light-harvesting materials, as well as presenting various approaches to coupling these two components together. To maximise performance and scalability of such semi-artificial systems, we emphasise that the interfacial design requires consideration of two important aspects: attachment and electron transfer.