Mapping Nanocellulose- and Alginate-Based Photosynthetic Cell Factory Scaffolds: Interlinking Porosity, Wet Strength, and Gas Exchange

Abstract

<p>To develop efficientsolid-state photosynthetic cellfactoriesfor sustainable chemical production, we present an interdisciplinaryexperimental toolbox to investigate and interlink the structure, operativestability, and gas transfer properties of alginate- and nanocellulose-basedhydrogel matrices with entrapped wild-type <i>Synechocystis </i>PCC 6803 cyanobacteria. We created a rheological map based on themechanical performance of the hydrogel matrices. The results highlightedthe importance of Ca2+-cross-linking and showed that nanocellulosematrices possess higher yield properties, and alginate matrices possesshigher rest properties. We observed higher porosity for nanocellulose-basedmatrices in a water-swollen state via calorimetric thermoporosimetryand scanning electron microscopy imaging. Finally, by pioneering agas flux analysis via membrane-inlet mass spectrometry for entrappedcells, we observed that the porosity and rigidity of the matricesare connected to their gas exchange rates over time. Overall, thesefindings link the dynamic properties of the life-sustaining matrixto the performance of the immobilized cells in tailored solid-statephotosynthetic cell factories.<br></p>