Synthetic biology methods for constructing electroactive Escherichia coli

Abstract:

Electroactive microorganisms have the unique ability to transfer electrons between intracellular and extracellular environments. Based on a thorough study of the electron transfer mechanism of natural electroactive microorganisms, the structural basis of electron transfer in natural electroactive microorganisms can also be heterologously constructed by synthetic biology methods, which can transform non-electroactive Escherichia coli with clear genetic background into electroactive microorganisms. The engineered electroactive E. coli obtained can be directly applied to fields such as microbial fuel cells, biosensors, and be used as a chassis cell to integrate the corresponding target product synthesis pathway to achieve electric-driven biosynthesis. This review article focuses on the construction of electroactive E. coli by synthetic biology methods, elaborates on the mechanism and structural basis of electron transfer in natural electroactive microorganisms, summarizes the construction strategy, successful cases, and application fields of engineered electroactive E. coli, and looks forward to the future research direction of constructing electroactive E. coli by synthetic biology methods.