BIO-HYBRID MATERIALS FROM LIVING ORGANISMS

Photosynthetic microorganisms have developed and optimized on the evolutionary timescale molecules and structures able to interact with light and to perform photoconversion. Starting with this concept, and in some cases also collaborating with other research groups, we have built-up hybrid functional architectures based on the combination of micro-nano structures obtained from photosynthetic microorganisms and tailored organic molecules. By this approach we want to explore the possibility to achieve biotechnological production of nanomaterials and materials for photonics and electronics exploiting structures present in microorganisms. This can not only enable to conceive new functional materials, but also to obtain them on a large scale and at low costs via biotechnological production.