Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Biobased electronics aims for disruptive innovation in sustainable electronics but is obstructed by the low intrinsic conductivity of biomaterials. Recently, fibres were discovered within the cell envelope of multi-cellular cable bacteria, which display an exceptional conductivity for a biomaterial. Yet, the molecular structure and electron transport mechanism remain unresolved, thus precluding a detailed structure-function understanding and the development of biomimetic analogues. Here, we demonstrate that each fibre embeds an extended nickel-organic framework, which consists of a bundle of intertwined nanoribbons, each built from stacked repeat units in which multiple nickel centres are linked by organic dithiolene ligands. This metal-organic supramolecular architecture provides extensive conjugation and electron delocalization, thus enabling exceptional conductance over macroscale distances. This suggests a novel design principle for bio-based electronic materials and opens possibilities for biosynthesis of metal-organic frameworks. Cable bacteria are filamentous microorganisms able to transport electrical currents over centimetre distances, giving them a survival advantage in aquatic sediments. The molecular basis of this conductivity has remained unclear. This study shows that electron transport occurs through a continuous nickel-based organic framework located within periplasmic fibres that span the centimeterlong bacterial filaments. This finding clarifies how efficient long-range conduction is achieved and highlights a promising biological model for developing innovative bio-based electronic materials.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Filip J. R. Meysman, Bent Smets, Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez, Nathalie Claes, Bob C. Schroeder, Jeanine S. Geelhoed, Yun Liu, Jiji Alingapoyil Choyikutty, Tamazouzt Chennit, Thijs Bodson, Alberto Collauto, Maxie M. Roessler, Dmitry Karpov, Sylvain Bohic, Matteo Aramini, Shusaku Hayama, Maxwell Wetherington, Martijn A. Zwijnenburg, Galina Pankratova, Isabel Pintelon, Jean-Pierre Timmermans, Gert Nuyts, Karolien De Wael, Sara Bals, Jo Verbeeck, Han Remaut, Henricus T. S. Boschker
Institutions: University of Antwerp, Delft University of Technology, University College London, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Imperial College London, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CEA Grenoble, Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire de Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, Synchrotron Radiation for Biomedicine, Diamond Light Source, Pennsylvania State University
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Funders: University of Pennsylvania, Université Catholique de Louvain, Pennsylvania State University, Diamond Light Source, UK Research and Innovation, Imperial College London, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Technische Universiteit Delft, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Universiteit Antwerpen, Vlaamse regering, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council
Awards: G1509021889, G1691618722, G1888003842, G2048888790, PEPR - A centre for Pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy at Imperial College, G295995587, A new nickel cofactor mediates highly efficient biological electron transport over centimeter distances., Highly conductive protein fibers as a radically new technological material, G3261615823, G35061877, G3571393807, Protein-based next generation electronics, G4751777824, G6831869105, Advancing 4D STEM for atomic scale structure property correlation in 2D materials., Microbial electricity: a surprise from the seafloor
OpenAlex ID: W7172483558