Print Email Facebook Twitter The organo-metal-like nature of long-range conduction in cable bacteria Title The organo-metal-like nature of long-range conduction in cable bacteria Author Pankratov, Dmitrii (Universiteit Antwerpen) Hidalgo Martinez, Silvia (Universiteit Antwerpen) Karman, Cheryl (Universiteit Antwerpen) Gerzhik, Anastasia (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH) Gomila, Gabriel (Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST); Universitat de Barcelona) Trashin, Stanislav (Universiteit Antwerpen) Boschker, H.T.S. (TU Delft BT/Environmental Biotechnology; Universiteit Antwerpen) Geelhoed, Jeanine S. (Universiteit Antwerpen) Meysman, F.J.R. (TU Delft BT/Environmental Biotechnology; Universiteit Antwerpen) Date 2024 Abstract Cable bacteria are filamentous, multicellular microorganisms that display an exceptional form of biological electron transport across centimeter-scale distances. Currents are guided through a network of nickel-containing protein fibers within the cell envelope. Still, the mechanism of long-range conduction remains unresolved. Here, we characterize the conductance of the fiber network under dry and wet, physiologically relevant, conditions. Our data reveal that the fiber conductivity is high (median value: 27 S cm−1; range: 2 to 564 S cm−1), does not show any redox signature, has a low thermal activation energy (Ea = 69 ± 23 meV), and is not affected by humidity or the presence of ions. These features set the nickel-based conduction mechanism in cable bacteria apart from other known forms of biological electron transport. As such, conduction resembles that of an organic semi-metal with a high charge carrier density. Our observation that biochemistry can synthesize an organo-metal-like structure opens the way for novel bio-based electronic technologies. Subject BioelectronicsCable bacteriaElectrochemical impedance spectroscopyLong-distance electron transportProtein conductivity To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e230fab5-afda-41f9-93cf-0ce8c6020f64 DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108675 ISSN 1567-5394 Source Bioelectrochemistry, 157 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2024 Dmitrii Pankratov, Silvia Hidalgo Martinez, Cheryl Karman, Anastasia Gerzhik, Gabriel Gomila, Stanislav Trashin, H.T.S. Boschker, Jeanine S. Geelhoed, F.J.R. Meysman, More Authors Files PDF 1-s2.0-S1567539424000379-main.pdf 2.88 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:e230fab5-afda-41f9-93cf-0ce8c6020f64/datastream/OBJ/view