Team:TU Delft/Demonstrate

iGEM TU Delft

Demonstration a functional proof of concept

Testing our biological microlenses on solar panels

Overview

Abstract

Due to global warming and to prevent shortage of currently used fossil fuels, a variety of measures needs to be taken. The potential of solar energy is seemingly limitless, so this seems to be a good alternative for fossil fuels. The efficiency of solar panels is nowadays still too low to make them profitable. Using microlens arrays (MLAs) appeared to significantly increase its efficiencies, however these are expensive to produce and not environmentally friendly.

Here we have used our biologically produced microlenses to test if these could also improve the efficiency of solar panels and therefore create an alternative for chemically produced MLAs. After testing them, using a solar simulator and well characterized solar panels, results showed that the efficiency was increased.

Introduction

Most people agree that to curb global warming and to prevent shortage, a variety of measures needs to be taken. Probably the best response to the growing energy problem is to switch to renewable energy sources. Renewable energy is collected from resources, which are naturally replenished, on a human timescale. These include sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Since in less than an hour, the theoretical potential of the sun represents more energy striking the earth’s surface than worldwide energy consumption in one year, this is considered to be the most promising renewable energy source (Crabtree, 2006).

stukje over hoe die MLAs de zonnecellen kunnen improven , zie proof of concept in businessplan.

stukje over dat huidige MLAs duur zijn en slecht voor het milieu.

Alternatief: biologische microlenzen.

Voordelen van biolenzen ten opzichte van chemically produced : kleiner, biologisch produced, less expensive.

Realization of the biological microlenses

Preparation of biolenses

To produce a biolens, E. coli was covered in a layer of polysilicate. This will give the cell optical properties and act as a lens by focusing light. As E. coli cells are not intrinsically able to cover themselves in polysilicate. However, upon transformation of the silicatein-α gene, originating from sponges, it is possible to coat the bacterium in a layer of polysilicate (Müller et al., 2008; Müller et al., 2003). Therefore, we are transforming E. coli with silicatein-α. We test the use of two different silicateins, one originating from the marine sponge Suberites domuncula (Müller, 2011) and one originating from the marine sponge Tethya aurantia (Cha et al., 1999). We express the enzyme in three different ways. First of all, we expressed the gene from S. domuncula (Part K1890000) and see if the enzyme is transported outside the cell as described by Müller et al, 2008. Furthermore, we express a fusion of silicatein from T. aurantia to the trans-membrane protein OmpA (outer membrane protein A) from E. coli to anchor the silicatein to the membrane (Part K1890002) (Curnow, Kisailus, & Morse, 2006; Francisco et al. 1992), which might make coating the cell specifically in polysilicate more efficient. We also express a fusion of silicatein from S. domuncula to the transmembrane Ice Nucleation Protein (INP) from Pseudomonas syringae (Part K1890001), a popular protein for membrane fusions (Kim & Yoo, 1998). Using these different approaches we expect to coat the cell in polysilicate, an overview is shown in figure 1. This glass coating around the cell will be the basis of our biolens .

Silicatein
Figure 1, (A) Silicatein is able to convert monosilicate to polysilicate, allowing the cell to cover itself in polysilicate. (B) We express silicatein in three ways: solely expressing silicatein and fusing it to the membrane proteins OmpA or INP.

References

  1. Berezin, M. Y., & Achilefu, S. (2010). Fluorescence lifetime measurements and biological imaging. Chemical reviews, 110(5), 2641-2684.
  2. Einstein, A. (1917). Zur quantentheorie der strahlung. Physikalische Zeitschrift, 18.
  3. Gather, Malte C., and Seok Hyun Yun. "Single-cell biological lasers." Nature Photonics 5.7 (2011): 406-410.
  4. Jonáš, Alexandr, et al. "In vitro and in vivo biolasing of fluorescent proteins suspended in liquid microdroplet cavities." Lab on a Chip 14.16 (2014): 3093-3100.
  5. Shaner, N. C., Patterson, G. H., & Davidson, M. W. (2007). Advances in fluorescent protein technology. Journal of cell science, 120(24), 4247-4260.
  6. Svelto, Orazio. Principles of lasers. Ed. David C. Hanna. London, New York, Rheine: Heyden, 1976.
click counter