Paolo Bombelli
University of Cambridge

Photosynthetic (micro)organisms are capable to generate electrons that can be harvested by a suitable electrochemical setup and be used as a source of electrical current. This concept forms the basis of photo bio electrochemical systems ^[1]. The electrical output obtained from these bio electrochemical systems has improved considerably over the last few years, with the maximum current output reported being in the region of ca.4A m^-2 for the systems operated with cyanobacteria cells ^[2].

A number of aspects have been considered for enhancing the electrical output and make the BESs suitable for actual applications. These include  the availability of electrons from the organisms involved, the transfer of electrons outside the cellular body and interface to the electrode, and the nature of the materials used to build the electrochemical setup.

With the aim to focus on possible areas of application I will present ongoing projects where photo bio electrochemical systems constitute a useful source of electricity in, for example, off-grid locations. I will discuss, for example the use of photo bio electrochemical systems to run environmental sensor for wastewater monitoring in Bangalore India. In addition, I will also promote the idea to use those hybrid apparatus as educational toolkit for disseminating knowledge related with energy and sustainability in schools. This was done by promoting the creation of open-source algal-BES prototypes ^[3].