The joint effort found that, by attaching cells to a transparent nanocellulose film, they could induce microbial cells to produce biohydrogen from solar energy. The method is also expected to enhance the production of other biochemicals from microalgal cells.
By binding cells within or onto a surface of a gel-like substance, cell metabolism shifts from the growth of biomass to the production of the desired compounds. Additionally, attachment of the cells to a thin, transparent film significantly reduces the loss of light energy compared to normal cultivation of microalgae in the growth medium. Nanocellulose film developed by VTT performed better than an alginate polymer, which has relatively poor mechanical durability and low porosity.
The work, led by Yagut Allahverdiyeva, Associate Professor of Molecular Plant Biology at the University of Turku, has been published Journal of Materials Chemistry A.