Recombinant <i>Escherichia coli</i> as a biofactory for various single- and multi-element nanomaterials

Abstract

Significance Nanomaterials (NMs) including metals, metal oxides, and quantum dots are increasingly used for developing various materials of industrial use. Conventional NM synthesis by chemical and physical methods requires rather harsh and environmentally hazardous conditions. Here we report biosynthesis of various NMs by employing a recombinant Escherichia coli strain co-expressing metallothionein and phytochelatin synthase. A Pourbaix diagram was employed to predict producibility and crystallinity of NMs. We were able to synthesize 60 different crystalline and amorphous NMs comprising a single-element or multi-elements, including those never biosynthesized or synthesized chemically before. The biosynthesized NMs were analyzed for their size, shape, composition, and other characteristics. The strategy reported here will be useful for producing under mild conditions various single- and multi-element NMs for industrial use.