Solid-State Photosynthetic Cell Factories for Sustainable Chemicals Production Using Nanocellulose-Based Cross-Linked Functional Structures

The poster presents functional structures for solid-state photosynthetic cell factories (SSPCFs) aiming at sustainable biocatalytic production of chemicals and fuels. As SSPFCs use carbon dioxide and sunlight as theoretically unlimited energy sources, they promote the transition from petroleum-based production towards circular carbon-neutral blue bioeconomy and contribute to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. These renewable platforms are constructed by immobilizing photosynthetic microalgal cells within nanocellulose-based matrices in a design that draws inspiration from nature and helps to overcome the challenges associated with traditional suspension cultures, such as water and energy consumption and light-to-product efficiency. However, the realization of this potential requires optimizing the SSPCF matrix in terms of its structure and properties. The matrix must be biologically compatible with the cells and mechanically robust in aqueous production conditions. In this sense, nanocelluloses are highly advantageous immobilization materials as their innate, remarkably hygroscopic nature and porous network structure sustain long-term cell viability, and different crosslinking strategies can be applied to provide mechanical stability for the colloidal fibril network even when submerged in growth medium. Moreover, the different cross-linkers allow structural control and tailoring of versatile matrix compositions for the specific requirements of various production systems.