Plankton-like Protocells for Artificial Photosynthesis Targeting Carbon-neutral Energy Vectors

PLANKT-ON aims to construct and validate a bio-inspired approach to sustainably generate oxygen (O2) and formic acid (FA) based on a bottom-up chemical construction of photosynthetic micro-compartmentalized systems endowed with a structure inspired in the phytoplankton. Plankton-like protocells will contain at their core two types of (photo)catalytic proto-organelles that work synergistically to autonomously produce O2 and FA from sunlight, water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). We now proposes to elevate the applicability of such artificial organelles by developing 3D polymeric scaffolds with enhanced structural and multi-functional properties for the co-localization of the oxygenic quantasomes and CO2-to-FA specialized proto-organelles. The inclusion of UAVR as a widening partner can be highly valuable for the PLANKT-ON project, complementing the concepts and models that support the work of the project. UAVR proposes the development of highly innovative modular natural polymer-based bioinks comprising the plankton-like protocells. In addition, and as highlighted in the first PLANKT-ON review-meeting and technical assessment, this responds to the necessity of tailored bio-hybrid compartments mitigating the FDH enzyme fragility while leveraging the CO2-to-FA forward equilibrium at the reduction sites to bias the bio-hybrid process towards formate production.