Photosynthetic engineered living materials incorporating recombinant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii enable long-term semi-continuous photobiotransformation - UTU Research Portal

A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Photosynthetic engineered living materials incorporating recombinant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii enable long-term semi-continuous photobiotransformation

Authors: Siitonen, Vilja; Siivola, Tiia; Napaumpaiporn, Pornpan; Tammelin, Tekla; Allahverdiyeva, Yagut

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Publication year: 2026

Journal: New Biotechnology

Volume: 93

First page : 316

Last page: 324

ISSN: 1871-6784

eISSN: 1876-4347

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2026.04.004

Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access

Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel

Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2026.04.004

Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523158704

Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY

Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF

Abstract

Photosynthetic engineered living materials (ELMs) present an attractive platform for producing valuable compounds and fuels using solar energy. Compared to traditional suspension cultures, ELMs enable long-term biocatalytic activity, more efficient light utilization, and facilitate downstream processing. In this study, we developed photosynthetic ELMs by entrapping Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in either alginate or TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TCNF). The strain utilized was converting cyclohexanone to ε-caprolactone via photobiotransformation. The cell loading and matrix material were evaluated in short-term reactions and during a semi-continuous bioproduction in vials. We showed that the entrapped cells remain photosynthetically active and catalytically competent over extended periods. By replenishing the substrate and collecting the product every 24 h we achieved semi-continuous photobiotransformation for over two weeks, reaching an average productivity of 2.31 ± 0.26 g m−2 d−1 and accumulating 0.31 ± 0.03 mol m−2 corresponding to 3.49 ± 0.31 g L−1 of ε-caprolactone. These findings establish photosynthetic ELMs as a viable approach for long-term whole-cell photobiotransformation.

Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.

1-s2.0-S1871678426000506-main.pdf

Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by the EU FET Open project “FuturoLEAF” (grant agreement no. 899576), the Research Council of Finland “AlgaLEAF” (project no. 322752 and 322754), the Novo Nordisk Foundation project “PhotoCat” (project no. NNF20OC0064371 to YA) and Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation project “PhotoFactory” (project no. 230042 to YA); and the Research Council of Finland’s Flagship Programme (Competence Centre for Materials Bioeconomy, FinnCERES). The work was carried out using the PHOTOSYN infrastructure at the University of Turku.