Project description
Sustainable electronic wiring from bacteria
Modern electronics manufacturing relies on rigid materials that are not ideal for human tissue, in addition to generating toxic electronic waste. To counter this, scientists are increasingly turning to nature for compostable alternatives. A promising candidate is cable bacteria, which naturally grow long, highly conductive filaments that are completely biodegradable and soft. How these living cells build these filaments using nickel-sulfur nanostructures is unknown. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BIOGEM project seeks to reverse-engineer this process. Using genomics and proteomics approaches, researchers will uncover more about their genetic and structural makeup, watching how the bacteria build these wires step by step. The ultimate goal is to replicate the process in synthetic systems, paving the way for biologically compatible wiring.
Objective
To circularly produce sustainable electronics, we need radical material and production innovations. Sourcing inspiration from the biological world could allow the creation of soft, biodegradable materials adaptable to interfaces with humans in bioelectronic devices. A recently discovered model, the cable bacterium, produces long filaments from its own natural, renewable biosynthetic pathway that conduct electricity at high levels never before seen in biology. Very recent discoveries have identified the principal source of conductivity as a biologically unique metallic cofactor, made from nickel-sulfur nanostructures. As it has never yet been seen in nature, little is known about its synthetic and assembly pathway in the cell. The project, BIOGEM (biosynthesis of a highly conductive material for green electronic materials), will have as objective to harness the biosynthetic pathway of cable bacteria to reproduce it in a synthetic system. To reach this ambitious goal, several knowledge gaps must be filled. The mechanism of the nickel-sulfur nanoribbon assembly will be observed through electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The biological scaffold involved in the metal's assembly will be identified through genomics and proteomics. Last, antibody dyes will be used to localize proteins involved in the assembly, and their individual expression in heterologous organisms will help us build a bottom-up approach to understanding the entire biosynthesis pathway and produce nanowires in systems with scalable potential.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.