Ferrara Sara, Willeit Stephanie, Fuenzalida-Werner Juan Pablo, Costa Rubén D
Technical University of Munich, TUM Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Chair of Biogenic Functional Materials, Schulgasse, 22, 94315, Straubing, Germany.
Adv Mater. 2024 Nov;36(47):e2402851. doi: 10.1002/adma.202402851. Epub 2024 Oct 9.
Photon down-converting filters with fluorescent proteins (FPs) are a new frontier in the quest for rare-earth-free and non-toxic color filters for white light-emitting diodes. There are, however, concerns related to the FP purification costs and lack of FP recyclability/reuse. Here, the direct use of bacteria in photon down-converting filters can be of utmost relevance, eliminating purification and allowing in situ production of new FPs. However, their high background autofluorescence/scattering and low stability in polymer coatings have traditionally hampered the application of Engineering Living Materials (ELMs) for photon manipulation. Indeed, there are no examples of ELMs in lighting systems. This work discloses the first protocol to prepare living spheroplasts with > 90% scattering reduction, high FP expression fairly keeping their photoluminescence figures-of-merit, and excellent resilience in polymer films over 1 year under ambient storage. This unlocked the preparation of the first bacteria hybrid light-emitting diodes integrating ELMs for photon conversion. These devices feature similar stabilities to those using purified FPs, while enabling a cost-effective strategy and active FP recycling by the simple recultivation of spheroplasts. Overall, this work introduces a successful case toward bacteria-polymer photon manipulation, in general, and a new living lighting concept, in particular.
带有荧光蛋白（FPs）的光子下转换滤光片是寻求用于白光发光二极管的无稀土且无毒的彩色滤光片的一个新前沿领域。然而，人们担心荧光蛋白的纯化成本以及缺乏荧光蛋白的可回收性/再利用性。在此，在光子下转换滤光片中直接使用细菌可能极为重要，这消除了纯化过程并允许原位生产新的荧光蛋白。然而，它们高的背景自发荧光/散射以及在聚合物涂层中的低稳定性传统上阻碍了工程活材料（ELMs）在光子操纵方面的应用。实际上，在照明系统中尚无工程活材料的实例。这项工作公开了首个制备活原生质球的方案，其散射减少>90%，荧光蛋白高表达且相当程度上保持其光致发光品质因数，并且在环境储存条件下在聚合物薄膜中超过1年具有出色的弹性。这开启了首个集成工程活材料用于光子转换的细菌混合发光二极管的制备。这些器件具有与使用纯化荧光蛋白的器件相似的稳定性，同时通过原生质球的简单再培养实现了具有成本效益的策略和荧光蛋白的活性回收。总体而言，这项工作一般地介绍了细菌 - 聚合物光子操纵的一个成功案例，特别是一种新的生物照明概念。
