Engineered conductive pili enable high-efficiency photosynthetic electron extraction in biophotovoltaics

The efficient extraction of electrons from photosynthetic microorganisms remains a critical challenge in living biophotovoltaics (BPV). While nanomaterials can facilitate electron transport, their stochastic adsorption leads to inefficient material-wasteful interfaces. Here, we demonstrate a controllable approach to direct the targeted assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the type IV pili of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by using a genetically encoded gold-binding peptide. This approach creates a spatially precise conductive nano-bio interface on the cell envelope that serves as a dedicated electron conduit between photosynthetic electron transport chains (PETCs) and electrodes. This nano-bio interface enhances electron transfer through synergistic improvements in interfacial charge transfer and biofilm density, ultimately yielding a four-fold increase in photocurrent density, while using two orders of magnitude less gold than non-targeted strategies. Moreover, the AuNPs can be transferred from inactivated to fresh cells, indicating a potential pathway for long-term stability. This work establishes a generalizable strategy for the rational design of conductive interfaces on living cells, with implications for biophotovoltaics, microbial electrosynthesis, and next-generation biohybrid devices.