Preparation of Artificial Chloroplasts

Photosynthesis converts solar energy into chemical energy that provides food and oxygen for all life on earth. Many scientists call the artificial reconstruction and control of the photosynthesis process "the Apollo program of our time" . Drawing on the working principle of natural chloroplasts, scientists have successfully prepared an artificial photosynthetic system "artificial chloroplast" based on visible light energy. Through molecular assembly, artificial chloroplasts co-assemble light-harvesting proteins (usually photosystem II), photosensitizer molecules, photoacid molecules and rotational motor proteins capable of photosynthesis to maximize the conversion of light energy into chemical energy and store it for utilization. In 2020, German and French researchers have successfully developed droplets with chloroplast function and cell size using synthetic biology and nano-microfluidics technology, as well as an assembly platform for automated production of artificial chloroplasts with different functions.

Fig. 1. Thylakoids were extracted from spinach chloroplasts and combined with various enzymes of CETCH cycle by droplet microfluidics technology to prepare artificial chloroplasts. (Schwander T, et al., 2016)

Services

It is of great significance to prepare artificial chloroplasts, which can not only mimic the photocatalytic function of chloroplast-containing plants and bacteria, but also be easy to prepare and use when needed. Over the years, the team at Lifeasible has accumulated rich experience in chloroplast genetic engineering and established a mature artificial chloroplast assembly platform. Our scientists are committed to providing artificial chloroplast preparation services, combining molecular assembly technology with nano-microfluidics technology to artificially simulate the remarkable features of chloroplast in structure and function. Our engineers have long been devoted to the preparation of artificial chloroplasts, and have developed a mature and reliable artificial carbon fixation scheme.

· We used bacterial enzymes in place of RuBisCO and combined other enzymes from nine different organisms to create a new CO₂-to-organic chemistry cycle.

· Extraction of thylakoid membranes from spinach leaf cells, which work outside of plant cells.

· Co-assembly of adenosine triphosphate synthase and photosystem II proteins, multilayer structure of photoacid molecules, and co-assembly of photosystem II and adenosine triphosphate synthase.

· Through droplet microfluidic technology, the natural chloroplast thylakoid membrane is perfectly integrated with various enzymes in the CETCH carbon fixation cycle, and light is used to continuously convert carbon dioxide into organic metabolites.

· Establishing an artificial chloroplast assembly platform to realize the automatic production of artificial chloroplast, and prepare artificial chloroplasts with different functions by adding different enzymes according to people's needs.

Advantages of Artificial Chloroplasts

• Able to realize the co-assembly of two or more proteins, and can effectively maintain the biological activity of chloroplasts.
• With a multi-chambered structure similar to natural chloroplasts.
• Achieving artificial synthesis of energy ATP molecules, effectively improve the efficiency of light energy conversion.
• Unlike natural chloroplasts, which must follow the survival of plants, they can be used for a long time.
• The photophosphorylation efficiency of this artificial chloroplast is 3-10 times higher than that of natural chloroplast.
• Able to achieve large-scale production of artificial chloroplasts, which can operate independently of each other.

Lifeasible can meet the needs of customers on time and on budget through a wide range of artificial chloroplast engineering strategies. Our aim is to be customer-centric and to provide the highest quality service to customers around the world. Our skilled and dedicated scientific researchers ensure that the most appropriate methods and techniques are selected for each specialized chloroplast project. Our customer service representatives are enthusiastic and trustworthy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us  for more information or a detailed discussion.

References

1. Schwander T, Schada von Borzyskowski L, Burgener S, et al. (2016) A synthetic pathway for the fixation of carbon dioxide in vitro[J]. Science. 354(6314): 900-904.
2. Feng X, Jia Y, Cai P, Fei J, Li J. (2016) Coassembly of Photosystem II and ATPase as Artificial Chloroplast for Light-Driven ATP Synthesis. ACS Nano. 10(1):556-61.