Biofuel Cells
Tila Hidalgo, Alief ISD
Chris Skinner, El Campo ISD
Zhilei Chen, PhD, Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical
Engineering
Texas A&M University
Chemical Engineering
•
Working with Dongli Guan, PhD
• Electrochemistry using reagents
available in and compatible to
biological systems.
Biofuel Cells
•
Redox Reactions- transfer of electrons
• Fuel Cell- parts of the reaction are split into the
anode and cathode so that electrons are forced to
travel.
• Reagents such as oxygen and glucose
produce products that are not harmful such
as water while generating free electrons.
The Research Question
•
How can we make a biofuel cell
generate sufficient power and
longevity?
Why?
•
Useful in various biomedical implants.
http://whoinvented.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/11/pacemaker1.jpg
The Research Objective
•
To improve power and longevity of the
fuel cell.
• Current Issues
• Not a lot of power generated
• Poor connections
• Loss of enzyme from the fuel cell
Engineering a new protein
•
•
Recombinant DNA is used to create
an enzyme that will both catalyze the
needed reaction and attach to the gel
cathode and anode.
The hope is that this will address the
issues with the fuel cell.
Plasmids
•
Small circular pieces of bacterial
DNA.
http://www.biologie.uni-regensburg.de/Experimentierlabor/Experimente/Plasmid%20Isolierung/plasmid2.gif
Recombinant DNA
•
•
•
DNA for the desired protein is identified,
and cut out with restriction enzymes.
Plasmid DNA is cut with the same
restriction enzymes.
The pieces are put together with an
enzyme called ligase to create a new
plasmid.
http://explorebio.wikispaces.com/file/view/sticky_ends.jpg/204841238/sticky_ends.jpg
http://biologyjunction.com/plasmid.gif
Transformation
•
•
Newly engineered plasmid is then put
into E. coli through a process called
transformation.
Transformed E. coli is then grown and
induced to make the newly engineered
enzyme.
• The protein is then harvested, purified
and tested in the biofuel cell.
Protein Purification
•
•
•
Once harvested, the proteins must be purified, or
isolated
During the engineering of the protein, it was
"tagged" to make isolation easier
The solution containing the protein is poured
through a filter system.
Purification continued
•
•
The protein is eluted from the filter
using a buffer that has a higher
affinity for the molecule
The collected protein solution
undergoes electrophoresis to
demonstrate its purity
Construct a Fuel Cell
•Mix enzyme with Multi-walled carbon
nanotubes (MWNT’s)
•Fix enzyme to electrodes
•Argarose + MWNT + enzyme
Adhere to electrode
Measure Voltage
Summary
•
•
Biofuel cells have great potential for
real world application.
Addressing issues with current
models of biofuel cells by engineering
proteins will provide low cost, high
yield, green technology for use in
living organisms.
Acknowledgements
•
•
•
•
TAMU E3 program
National Science Foundation
Nuclear Power Institute
Dr. Chen and Dr. Guan
Citation
Zebda, Abdelkader, Gondran, Chantal, Le Goff, Alan, Holziger, Michael, Cinquin, Phlippe,
Consiner, Serge. Mediatorless high-power glucose biofuel cells based on compressed
carbon nanotube- enzyme electrodes. Nature Communications. 2011. 10: 1038.