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Sustainable illuminants: LEDs from bacterial production

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The basis for this vision is laid at the Institute of Biochemistry at Graz University of Technology, where Gustav Oberdorfer and his team use simulationssoftware proteins designed, “For this project, we analyze fluorescent protein structures from nature and test how we have to change them so that they bind different, fluorescent organic molecules,” explains Oberdorfer. LEDs emit short-wave blue light, which is absorbed by a layer of inorganic luminescent materials and converted into longer-wave and therefore less energy-intensive light. The entire spectrum then gives the white light as we perceive it.

news-text-important">Read more about Gustav Obersdorfer’s work in Planet Research.

Oberdorfer developed the idea for the project together with the cooperation partners from Spain and Italy, who worked independently on the topic and had very promising success.

eco-friendly LEDcoating

Rubén Costa from the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (IMDEA) developed a stable organic LEDCoating as an alternative to conventional LEDCoatings that are typically made from problematic rare earth minerals. The mixture consists of organic polymers, in which fluorescent proteins are embedded that are found in marine life and are used by them as light sources for hunting, communication or self-protection. The luminosity of this plastic matrix is ​​currently too low to illuminate entire rooms.

Organic dyes with good light output

Researchers at the Departments of Chemistry the University of Turin around Claudia Barolo are concerned with the synthesis of organic dyes, which have a good light output and are used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, many of these dyes are expensive and complex to synthesize. As part of the FET OpenProjects, Barolo and her team are now looking for a well-suited dye that can be produced with minimal effort and that is to be modified so that it can be incorporated into proteins as an artificial amino acid.

FET Open-Project ENABLED combines the best from all areas

The FET Open-Project ENABLED brings together the successes of the individual groups. The goal is to use bacteria to develop completely new, artificially fluorescent proteins. To do this, the biochemists in Graz first simulate thousands of different hypothetical proteins that are supposed to bind specifically to the synthetic dyes. A handful of these proteins – namely, those that are closest to building naturally fluorescent proteins – are subsequently called synthetic DNA-Constructs ordered. In the next step, the groups investigate whether these proteins really bind the dyes for which they were designed. As soon as this is confirmed, the integration of these new, artificial fluorescent proteins in the plastic matrix is ​​tested and their usability in relation to bio-LEDs examined.
“The plan is that we finally ‘harvest’ the proteins from the bacterial cell, so we let some of the light sources grow,” Oberdorfer hopes for one Proof-of-Principle to complete the project in four years.

cooperation partners

news-text-info">This research project is at TU Graz in Field of expertise “Human & Biotechnology located, one of five scientific strengths at TU Graz.

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