Paolo Bombelli (Postdoc)

I am a researcher who brings together biology, engineering, materials, and design to turn bio-based solutions into integrated, real-world technologies for energy, sensing, and sustainable environments.

I study how living systems capture light and move electrons—and how to turn that into useful technology. I work with cyanobacteria, algae, mosses and biofilms to build living solar cells that produce small, steady currents under ambient light. We pair this with synthetic-biology and bioelectronic toolkits that let us read, program and interface with phototrophs, from robust materials and electrodes to quantitative measurement methods.

Alongside fundamentals of photosynthesis and cyanobacterial physiology, I focus on translation: proof-of-concept devices that power sensors and microelectronics; practical platforms for circular bioeconomy, including Spirulina cultivation and nutrient recovery; and low-cost designs that run on recycled inputs. At larger scales, I collaborate with architects and engineers to integrate biology into the built environment—bio-integrated façades, hydrogels and bioreactors—aiming at cleaner materials, passive remediation and self-powered components. I also work on biotechnology for water and soil, using plant–microbe–electrode systems for phytoremediation and bio-powered sensing.

I enjoy crossovers that spark curiosity—turning algal signals into music, or staging public installations that let people see and use “living power.” Beyond the lab, I lead workshops and create classroom resources to make this science hands-on and accessible. To accelerate deployment, I co-founded a company developing bio-photovoltaic modules for ultra-low-power applications.

From molecules to materials to field demos, my work links biophysics, design and engineering to build sustainable technologies with life at their core.

 

Living Solar Cells & Bioelectricity. How microbes and plants turn light into usable electrical power—devices, demos, and big-picture perspectives.

My work explores how photosynthetic organisms—cyanobacteria, algae, mosses and biofilms—can be wired to convert light into electrical power, and how to turn that phenomenon into useful devices. Conceptually, we map the promise and limits of “direct photosynthetic electricity,” clarifying where it can matter and what hurdles remain (Howe & Bombelli, 2023; Bombelli et al., 2020). Technically, we design and study biophotovoltaic (BPV) platforms and materials that improve electron extraction, stability and power density, while demonstrating practical applications.

On the device/materials side, we introduced mediator-free microfluidic BPVs (Bombelli et al., 2014) and examined what fundamentally limits solar-to-power conversion in model cyanobacteria and biofilms (Bombelli et al., 2011; McCormick et al., 2011). We showed how electrode architecture drives performance—from porous ceramics and surface energy effects (Thorne et al., 2011; Bombelli et al., 2012) to inverse-opal, translucent scaffolds that boost photocurrent collection from thick biofilms (Wenzel et al., 2018). We then decoupled charge storage from delivery to reach step-change power densities (Saar et al., 2018), and established digitally printed cyanobacterial circuits as a simple route to low-power bio-devices (Sawa et al., 2017) (Fig.1).

On the biology–electronics interface, we combined genetics and physiology to enhance current output (Laohavisit et al., 2015; Anderson et al., 2016) and identified strain-level routes to elevated electrogenic activity (Bradley et al., 2014). Beyond the lab, we built proof-of-concept demonstrators: bryophyte MFCs powering radios/sensors (Bombelli et al., 2016) and a photosynthetic BPV that ran a commercial microprocessor for months under ambient light (Bombelli et al., 2022). Alongside these advances, we’ve helped synthesize the field’s progress and roadmap through comprehensive reviews (McCormick et al., 2015; Wey et al., 2019).

Together, these studies trace a coherent arc: from understanding what is physically and biologically possible, to engineering architectures and organisms that make photosynthetic electricity more accessible, robust and genuinely useful at the ultra-low-power edge.

Figure 1. Cell viability and photosynthetic capabilities of digitally printed cyanobacteria. a Photograph of inkjet-printed Synechocystis cells after 3 days of incubation. Scale bar measures 2 cm. b Chlorophyll fluorescence image of the sample a by imaging PAM, showing maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) at the values of about 0.4 according to colour gradient in the legend bar. c The panel compares the growth of Synechocystis colonies before and after the inkjet printing process, following 5 days of incubation on a BG-11 agar plate. A 3 µl aliquot of cells from a dilution series representing 10−1, 10−2 and 10−3 of the original suspension was spotted. For the most dilute cell suspension taken after printing, 90.5 ± 10.6 colonies were counted, whereas 87.5 ± 12.0 colonies were counted before printing. The difference between these values was found to be not statistically significant (one-way ANOVA: p = 0.815) (Sawa et al., 2017).

 

Synthetic Biology & Bioelectronic Tools. Platforms, methods and interfaces that let us program or measure living phototrophs.

My work builds practical toolkits to program, interface with, and accurately measure photosynthetic microbes. We develop genetic–electronic bridges that couple gene expression to electrical readouts, outlining a roadmap for electrogenetic system engineering (Lawrence et al., 2022) (Fig.2). To support rapid prototyping, we helped establish a biotechnology platform for the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901, enabling high-yield chassis development (Mills et al., 2022). Because reliable measurements are foundational, we created a dual-compartment cuvette that corrects for light scattering in whole-cell spectroscopy, improving quantitation in vivo (Hervey et al., 2022). At the bio–electrode interface, we examined fundamental photoelectrochemistry of Photosystem II in vitro versus in vivo (Zhang et al., 2017), and engineered low-cost, platinum-free graphene anodes and air cathodes for robust microbial fuel cells (Call et al., 2017). We also characterized BPV systems built with recycled materials, demonstrating accessible routes to electrochemical testing (Bateson et al., 2018). Earlier, we mapped intra- and extracellular electron transport pathways in cyanobacteria (Bradley et al., 2012) and showed hydrogen production from oxygenic photosynthesis in a bio-photoelectrolysis cell (McCormick et al., 2013). We also built deployable biosensing concepts, including a storable, mediator-less herbicide biosensor (Tucci et al., 2019). Together, these platforms, interfaces, and methods enable faster, cleaner, and more quantitative engineering of living phototrophs.

Figure 2. Electrochemical control of gene expression in electrogenetic systems. (A) Electrogenetic systems consist of a series of electrochemical and genetic modules. An electrode controls the redox state of a redox mediator that the cell responds to with a redox-sensitive transcription factor. Depending on the cellular logic encoded by the genetic architecture used, oxidation of the transcription factor will either activate or repress expression of the chosen gene of interest. The identity of specific components tested in this study is labeled beneath the schematic. (B) The native soxRS oxidative stress response system of E. coli. SoxR is constitutively expressed from the PsoxR promoter. Oxidation of SoxR by oxidative stress–inducing redox molecules such as pyocyanin causes transcriptional activation of the PsoxS promoter. This activation leads to SoxS expression, which activates transcription of numerous genes involved in the oxidative stress response. The redox dependency of PsoxS allows for it to be used for electrochemical induction of gene expression. (C) An overview of the genetic and electrochemical tools developed in this study for use in electrogenetics systems. (Lawrence et al., 2022).

 

Life Under the Light: Photosynthesis & Cyanobacterial Biology. Fundamental physiology, evolution, and mechanisms behind phototroph performance.

My research examines how photosynthetic cells are built, regulated, and evolve—linking molecular mechanisms to performance in vivo. We have shown that polyploidy accelerates adaptation in cyanobacteria by providing a standing reservoir of mutations that selection can rapidly enrich, enabling herbicide resistance (Scarampi et al., 2025). At the cellular level, we uncovered how membrane hydrocarbons are essential for optimal cell size, division, and growth (Lea-Smith et al., 2016), and how antenna (phycobilisome) reduction reshapes size–productivity trade-offs in Synechocystis (Lea-Smith et al., 2014). We synthesized the electron-transport architecture that integrates photosynthesis, respiration, and extracellular pathways in cyanobacteria, providing a mechanistic map for energy flow under changing environments (Fig.3) (Smith et al., 2016). Foundational studies quantified in vivo energy currencies—NADP(H) redox and ATP/ADP dynamics—during light transitions in Chlamydomonas (Forti et al., 2003). Finally, by comparing Photosystem II photoelectrochemistry in vitro vs. in vivo, we clarified how biological context modulates the core photochemical machinery (Zhang et al., 2017). Together, these works connect evolution, physiology, and biophysics to explain why phototrophs perform as they do—and how that performance can be tuned.

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of the (A) thylakoid membrane photosynthetic, (B) thylakoid membrane respiratory, and (C) thylakoid membrane cyclic. Broken lines indicate possible electron transport pathways or proteins not yet verified experimentally. Red lines indicate pathways not present in Synechocystis. PSII—Photosystem II, Flv2/4—Flavodiiron 2/4, PQ—plastoquinone, PQH2—plastoquinol, cyt b6f—cytochrome b6f, Pc—plastocyanin, Cyt c6—cytochrome c6, PSI—Photosystem I, Fd—ferredoxin, FNR—ferredoxin-NADP+-reductase, NDH-1—NAD(P)H dehydrogenase 1, SDH—succinate dehydrogenase, NDH-2—NAD(P)H dehydrogenase 2, PTOX—plastid terminal oxidase, Cyd—bd-quinol oxidase, ARTO—alternative respiratory terminal oxidase, COX—cytochrome-c oxidase, FQR—ferredoxin-plastoquinone reductase (Smith et al., 2016).

 

Circular Bioeconomy & Algae at Scale. Translating lab insights into resilient production, resource recovery, and sustainable infrastructure.

My work advances scalable algae-based systems that close nutrient loops and integrate with sustainable infrastructure. We evaluate industrial Spirulina production over long timescales, linking culture management, harvesting efficiency, and productivity metrics to operational decisions (Kurpan et al., 2024). In parallel, we design microbial electrochemical processes to recover plant nutrients from agro-food wastewater, turning liabilities into inputs for cultivation (Goglio et al., 2022). To enable low-cost deployment, we demonstrate earthenware biofilter configurations that support Spirulina growth on recycled nutrient streams, offering robust, resource-lean hardware for circular bioprocesses (Girotto et al., 2022). Finally, we explore agrivoltaics with tinted semi-transparent photovoltaics, co-optimizing light for crops and electricity generation to integrate biomanufacturing with clean energy assets (Fig.4) (Thompson et al., 2019). Together, these studies outline a practical pathway from lab concepts to resilient, field-ready algae platforms that recover resources, cut inputs, and dovetail with renewable energy.

 

 

Figure.4 Agrivoltaics for food and energy double-generation implemented with tinted semi-transparent solar panel. A) Solar radiation spectrum in the visible range at the ground level. B) Absorption spectrum for the tinted semi-transparent solar PV panel (a-Si single-junction) used in this study. C) Absorption spectrum for a basil plant leaf. D) Schematic representation of the input (solar energy) and the two contextual outputs of agrivoltaics (i.e., electricity and biomass) (Thompson et al., 2019).

 

Biotechnology for Sustainable Buildings

I work at the interface of biology and architecture to integrate living systems into the built environment. With UCL’s Bio-Integrated Design (Bio-ID) programme led by Prof. Marcos Cruz and Dr Brenda Parker, I contribute photobiovoltaic (BPV/BES) know-how to bio-integrated envelopes and components that combine algae with advanced fabrication. Our joint work includes robotically extruded algae-laden hydrogels developed for bioremediation/biosorption and bio-interfaces, showcased in The Fabric of the Living exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, Paris (2019). My role has focused on the biophotovoltaic strand and on translating bioelectrochemical energy harvesting into deployable, material-driven prototypes (Fig.5). 

In parallel, I collaborate with the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) on building-scale demonstrators—e.g., biocatalytic “algae cells” installed/tested at the Valldaura campus and in studio projects—aligning microbial energy systems with performative façades and self-sensing elements. 

I also engage with Politecnico di Milano (Prof. Ingrid Paoletti) on bio-material systems and microalgae bioreactors for architecture, connecting BPV/BES expertise with adaptive envelopes, ecological materials, and distributed cultivation as part of a broader, practice-oriented bio-design network. 

 

Figure 5. The Fabric of the Living is exhibiting at the Pompidou Centre (April 2019) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/news/2019/feb/bartlett-staff-and-students-explore-fabric-life-pompidou-centre?utm

 

Biotechnology for wastewater treatment & phytoremediation

I work at the soil–plant–microbe–electrode interface to turn living systems into practical tools for water remediation and bio-powered sensing. With ATREE’s Water & Society programme (Bengaluru; lead: Dr Priyanka Jamwal), a collaboration that began at the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering for Development symposium, I co-develop environmental bioelectrochemical approaches for water treatment and sustainable infrastructure—linking field constraints to deployable plant-/algae-assisted BES concepts. 

At the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER) (team of Prof. Susan T. L. Harrison), I investigate plant-BES/PMFC systems that harvest current from vascular plants. We study how rhizodeposits (root-released sugars and organic acids) shape rhizosphere microbial communities and extracellular electron transfer, using those insights to improve anode design and power output for in-situ, low-power water-quality sensing. CeBER’s programme and student research provide a strong wastewater/PMFC context for this work. 

 

Science & Unconventional Crossovers.

I explore unconventional interfaces between biology, technology, and everyday experience—projects designed to make people look twice and ask new questions. We turned algae into a creative medium, converting photosynthetic signals into biomusic to reveal cellular dynamics as sound (Fig.6) (Lawrence et al., 2025). In parallel, we probed unexpected biodegradation phenomena, reporting that wax-moth caterpillars can damage polyethylene and ignite debate on plastic breakdown pathways (Bombelli, Howe & Bertocchini, 2017).

These curiosities connect to practical demonstrations of low-power living electronics. We powered a commercial microprocessor using photosynthetic biofilms under ambient light, showing the potential of biological energy harvesters at the edge (Bombelli et al., 2022). Earlier, bryophyte microbial fuel cells drove a radio and environmental sensor, illustrating resilient off-grid sensing (Bombelli et al., 2016). Finally, we examined tinted semi-transparent photovoltaics for agrivoltaics, aligning energy generation with plant needs to rethink how technology coexists with living systems (Thompson et al., 2019).

Together, these crossover projects serve a purpose: they translate rigorous science into tangible, surprising experiences that broaden engagement and spark new applications.

In 2018 I conceived and led the BBSRC-funded Bio-Electrochemical System Tour (BEST)—a low-carbon, pan-European outreach and technology-transfer initiative—travelling by bus, ferry and train with a working cyanobacteria (Synechocystis 6803 wt) BPV prototype (Fig.7). I delivered tailored talks and hands-on demonstrations, continuously logged device performance, and used the tour to catalyse collaborations that link fundamental bioelectrochemistry to practical applications. Supported by the BBSRC, the tour engaged academic and industrial partners across ten countries—including IAAC (Barcelona), the Universities of Bari and Padova, DTU, the University of Bath, and NTNU—and seeded multiple follow-on projects in bio-photovoltaics and BES.

 

Figure 6 Sonification methods for creating algal biomusic. (a–c) illustrate BPVs as biological transducers; panels (d–f) map signal-processing routes from raw current to sound, synthesis, and notation; panels (g–j) show application contexts (performance, outreach, listening) (Lawrence et al., 2025).

 

 

Figure 7. BBSRC Bio-Electrochemical System Tour (BEST)—a low-carbon, pan-European outreach and technology-transfer initiative—travelling by bus, ferry and train with a working cyanobacteria (Synechocystis 6803 wt) BPV prototype. 

 

Workshops and educational/outreach activities

I design and deliver hands-on learning that brings “living power” into classrooms, maker spaces and public venues. Highlights include talks + build-along workshops (participants assemble simple plant-MFC/BPV devices), festival exhibits for families, and teacher resources with step-by-step guides and videos. These activities sit alongside public talks at Cambridge and global livestreams, and they feed directly from my lab’s peer-reviewed demonstrations of plant- and algae-powered electronics.

I also lead the Living Electrochemical Toolkit (LET) for schools: an open, classroom-ready set of theory primers, materials lists, DIY recycled-BPV builds, step-by-step protocols, and video tutorials. https://linktr.ee/lg750 

 

Translational projects. My translational work brings bioelectrochemical research into public, deployable formats—so people can see, hear, and use “living power” in real settings.

  • Plant to Power (P2P). A solar hub combining conventional PV with plant-BES panels, installed at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden to explore self-powered infrastructure prototypes (Fig.8). These installations are grounded in our work on agrivoltaics that integrates energy generation with plant needs. https://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/p2p

  • Moss FM. A plant-powered radio created with designer Fabienne Felder (Fig.9), used for education/outreach as a tangible example of photosynthetic power driving real electronics. https://materiability.com/portfolio/moss-fm/?utm 

  • Plant at the Zoo. With colleagues at ZSL London Zoo and collaborators across conservation tech, we built and tested a plant-based bioelectrochemical system (BES) to help run a wildlife camera trap and showcase plant/moss power to visitors. This work sits alongside open calls to field-test plant-BES camera traps with Arribada/OpenPlant and WILDLABS and is documented via group pages at Cambridge.

  • Moss Table. A concept demonstrator that embeds moss-BES cells into furniture to spark public engagement with living energy (Fig.10). It’s introduced and archived on the Biophotovoltaics site and partner galleries. https://biophotovoltaics.wordpress.com/?utm 

 

Figure 8. Plant to Power (P2P). A solar hub combining conventional PV with plant-BES panels, installed at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

 

Figure 9. Moss FM. A plant-powered radio created with designer Fabienne Felder (photos courtesy of Fabienne Felder).

Figure 10. Moss Table. A concept demonstrator that embeds moss-BES cells into furniture to spark public engagement (Photo courtesy of Carlos Peralta and Alex Driver).

 

Commercial activity.

I am an active director of e-Pho Ltd, the company I co-founded with Prof. Christopher J. Howe to translate our University of Cambridge Bio-Photovoltaic (BPV) research into real-world products. e-Pho provides the commercial pathway for BPV—bio-solar devices in which photosynthetic microorganisms (e.g., algae, cyanobacteria) harvest light and transfer electrons to electrodes, producing a small but continuous current. Our focus is on developing robust, low-cost modules to power decentralised, ultra-low-power applications (e.g., environmental sensors/IoT), accelerating the journey from lab prototypes to fieldable systems. https://e-pho.co/ 

 

Research funders

  • BBSRC
  • EPSRC
  • MIUR / Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
  • NBIC (National Biofilms Innovation Centre )  
  • OpenPlant (Cambridge–Norwich) 

  • Royal Academy of Engineering 

  • Shuttleworth Foundation 

  • The Leverhulme Trust

 

Reference

  • Anderson A, Laohavisit A, Blaby I, Bombelli P, Howe C, Merchant S, Smith A, Davies JM. Exploiting algal NADPH oxidase for biophotovoltaic energy. Plant Biotechnology Journal 14:22–28, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12332
  • Bateson P, Fleet JEH, Riseley AS, Janeva E, Marcella AS, Farinea C, Kuptsova M, Conde N, Howe CJ, Bombelli P, Parker BM. Electrochemical characterisation of algae-based BPV systems built with recycled materials. Biology 7(2):26, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology7020026
  • Bombelli P, Bradley RW, Scott AM, Philips AJ, McCormick AJ, Cruz SM, Anderson A, Yunus K, Bendall DS, Cameron PJ, Davies J, Smith AG, Howe CJ, Fisher AC. Quantitative analysis of the factors limiting solar power transduction by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in BPV devices. Energy & Environmental Science 4:4690–4698, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1039/C1EE02531G
  • Bombelli P, Dennis RJ, Felder F, Cooper MB, Iyer DMR, Royles J, Harrison STL, Smith AG, Harrison J, Howe CJ. Electrical output of bryophyte microbial fuel cell systems is sufficient to power a radio or environmental sensor. Royal Society Open Science 3:160249, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160249
  • Bombelli P, Howe CJ, Bertocchini F. Polyethylene biodegradation by caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella. Current Biology 27(8):R292–R293, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.060
  • Bombelli P, Iyer DMR, Covshoff S, McCormick AJ, Yunus K, Hibberd JM, Fisher AC, Howe CJ. Comparison of power output by rice and an associated weed in vascular plant BPV systems. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 97:429–438, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4473-6
  • Bombelli P, Mueller T, Herling TW, Howe CJ, Knowles TPJ. A high power-density mediator-free microfluidic biophotovoltaic device for cyanobacterial cells. Advanced Energy Materials 5:1401299, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201401299
  • Bombelli P, Savanth A, Scarampi A, Rowden SJL, Green DH, Erbe A, Årstøl E, Jevremovic I, Hohmann-Marriott MF, Trasatti SP, Ozer E, Howe CJ. Powering a microprocessor by photosynthesis. Energy & Environmental Science 15(6):2529–2536, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EE00233G
  • Bombelli P, Zarrouati M, Thorne RJ, Schneider K, Rowden SJL, Ali A, Yunus K, Cameron PJ, Fisher AC, Wilson DI, Howe CJ, McCormick AJ. Anode surface morphology and energy influence power output in a multi-channel mediatorless BPV system. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 14:12221–12229, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1039/C2CP42526B
  • Bradley RW, Bombelli P, Lea-Smith DJ, Howe CJ. Terminal oxidase mutants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 show increased electrogenic activity in BPV systems. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15:13611–13618, 2013 (pub. 2014). https://doi.org/10.1039/C3CP52438H
  • Bradley RW, Bombelli P, Rowden SJL, Howe CJ. Biological photovoltaics: intra- and extracellular electron transport by cyanobacteria. Biochemical Society Transactions 40:1302–1307, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20120118
  • Call TP, Carey T, Bombelli P, Lea-Smith DJ, Hooper P, Howe CJ, Torrisi F. Platinum-free, graphene-based anodes and air cathodes for single-chamber microbial fuel cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 5(45):23872–23886, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7TA06895F
  • Forti G, Furia A, Bombelli P, Finazzi G. In vivo changes of NADP redox state and ATP/ADP ratio linked to photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Physiology 132:1464–1474, 2003.
  • Girotto F, Schievano A, Idà A, Rusconi Clerici G, Sala G, Goglio A, Kurpan D, Bombelli P, Toschi I, Bocchi S, Piazza L. Earthenware-based biofilter for Spirulina cultivation on recycled nutrients. Bioresource Technology Reports 18:101097, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2022.101097
  • Goglio A, Marzorati S, Zecchin S, Quarto S, Falletta E, Bombelli P, Cavalca L, Beggio G, Trasatti S, Schievano A. Plant nutrients recovery from agro-food wastewaters using microbial electrochemical technologies. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 10(3):107453, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.107453
  • Hervey JRD, Bombelli P, Lea-Smith DJ, Hulme AK, Hulme NR, Rullay AK, Keighley R, Howe CJ. A dual-compartment cuvette for correcting scattering in whole-cell absorbance spectroscopy. Photosynthesis Research 151(1):61–69, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-021-00866-8
  • Howe CJ, Bombelli P. Electricity production by photosynthetic microorganisms. Joule 4(10):2065–2069, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2020.09.003
  • Howe CJ, Bombelli P. Is it realistic to use microbial photosynthesis to produce electricity directly? PLoS Biology 21(3):e3001970, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001970
  • Kurpan D, Idà A, Körner FG, Bombelli P, da Silva Aguiar JP, Marinho LM, Ferreira do Valle A, Acién FG, Trasatti SP, Schievano A. Long-term evaluation of productivity and harvesting efficiency of an industrial Spirulina production facility. Bioresource Technology Reports 25:101741, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2023.101741
  • Laohavisit A, Anderson A, Bombelli P, Jacobs M, Howe CJ, Davies JM, Smith A. Enhancing plasma membrane NADPH oxidase activity increases current output by diatoms in BPV devices. Algal Research 12:91–98, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2015.08.009
  • Lawrence JM, Albertini E, Scarampi A, Bombelli P, Giron LB, Kuzmich L, Howe CJ. Algal biomusic generation. Applied Phycology 6(1):9–20, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/26388081.2024.2434476
  • Lawrence JM, Yin Y, Bombelli P, Scarampi A, Storch M, Wey LT, Climent-Catala A, PixCell iGEM Team, Baldwin GS, O’Hare D, Howe CJ, Zhang JZ, Ouldridge TE, Ledesma-Amaro R. Synthetic biology and bioelectrochemical tools for electrogenetic system engineering. Science Advances 8(18):eabm5091, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm5091
  • Lea-Smith DJ, Bombelli P, Dennis JS, Scott SA, Smith AG, Howe CJ. Phycobilisome-deficient Synechocystis strains have reduced size and need carbon limitation to show enhanced productivity. Plant Physiology 165:705–714, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.114.237206
  • Lea-Smith DJ, Ortiz-Suarez ML, Lenn T, Nürnberg DJ, Baers LL, Davey MP, Parolini L, Huber RG, Cotton CAR, Mastroianni G, Bombelli P, Ungerer P, Stevens TJ, Smith AG, Bond PJ, Mullineaux CW, Howe CJ. Hydrocarbons are essential for optimal cell size, division and growth of cyanobacteria. Plant Physiology 172:1928–1940, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.16.01205
  • McCormick AJ, Bombelli P, Bradley RW, Thorne R, Wenzel T, Howe CJ. Biophotovoltaics: oxygenic photosynthetic organisms in the world of bioelectrochemical systems. Energy & Environmental Science 8:1092–1109, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4EE03875D
  • McCormick AJ, Bombelli P, Lea-Smith DJ, Bradley RW, Scott AM, Smith AG, Fisher AC, Howe CJ. Hydrogen production through oxygenic photosynthesis using Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in a bio-photoelectrolysis cell. Energy & Environmental Science 6:2682–2690, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1039/C3EE40491A
  • McCormick AJ, Bombelli P, Scott AM, Philips AJ, Smith AG, Fisher AC, Howe CJ. Photosynthetic biofilms harness solar energy in a mediatorless BPV cell. Energy & Environmental Science 4:4699–4709, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1039/C1EE01965A
  • Mills LA, Moreno-Cabezuelo JA, Włodarczyk A, Victoria AJ, Mejías R, Nenninger A, Moxon S, Bombelli P, Selão TT, McCormick AJ, Lea-Smith DJ. Development of a biotechnology platform for the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901. Biomolecules 12(7):872, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12070872
  • Saar KL, Bombelli P, Lea-Smith DJ, Call TP, Aro EM, Muller T, Howe CJ, Knowles TPJ. Enhancing power density of biophotovoltaics by decoupling storage and power delivery. Nature Energy 3:75–81, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-017-0073-0
  • Sawa M, Fantuzzi A, Bombelli P, Howe CJ, Hellgardt K, Nixon PJ. Electricity generation from digitally printed cyanobacteria. Nature Communications 8:1327, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01084-4
  • Scarampi A, Lawrence JM, Bombelli P, Kosmützky D, Zhang JZ, Howe CJ. Polyploid cyanobacterial genomes provide a reservoir of mutations, allowing rapid evolution of herbicide resistance. Current Biology 35(7):1549–1561.e3, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.02.044
  • Smith DJL, Bombelli P, Vasudevan R, Howe CJ. Photosynthetic, respiratory and extracellular electron transport pathways in cyanobacteria. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1857(3):247–255, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2015.10.007
  • Thompson EP, Bombelli EL, Shubham S, Watson H, Everard A, Schievano A, Bocchi S, Zand N, Howe CJ, Bombelli P. Tinted semi-transparent solar panels for agrivoltaic installation. Advanced Energy Materials 10(35):2001189, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202001189
  • Thorne RJ, Hu H, Schneider K, Bombelli P, Fisher AC, Peter LM, Dent A, Cameron PJ. Porous ceramic anode materials for photo-microbial fuel cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry 21:18055–18060, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1039/C1JM13058G
  • Tucci M, Bombelli P, Howe CJ, Vignolini S, Bocchi S, Schievano A. Storable mediatorless electrochemical biosensor for herbicide detection. Microorganisms 7(12):630, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7120630
  • Wenzel T, Haertter D, Bombelli P, Howe CJ, Steiner U. Porous translucent electrodes enhance current generation from photosynthetic biofilms. Nature Communications 9:1299, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03320-x
  • Wey TL, Bombelli P, Chen X, Lawrence JM, Rabideau CM, Rowden SJL, Zhang JZ, Howe CJ. Development of biophotovoltaic systems for power generation and biological analysis. ChemElectroChem 6:1–13, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.201900997
  • Zhang J, Bombelli P, Sokol KP, Fantuzzi A, Rutherford AW, Howe CJ, Reisner E. Photoelectrochemistry of Photosystem II in vitro vs in vivo. Journal of the American Chemical Society 140:6–9, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.7b08563

 

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https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=1EiM2ksAAAAJ&hl=en&citsig=AMstHGR0Ln_1dj1AEoPt8EG98_wlvS6M3g

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