{"id":941989,"date":"2026-10-22T11:14:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T11:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/941989\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T11:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T11:14:12","slug":"bacteria-discovered-to-be-synthesising-metal-organic-frameworks-with-extraordinary-conductivity-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/941989\/","title":{"rendered":"Bacteria discovered to be synthesising metal\u2013organic frameworks with \u2018extraordinary conductivity\u2019 | Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time, researchers have discovered a microorganism that has made metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs) and it appears to have been making them for millions of years. These supramolecular structures also have excellent conductivity and can transport electrons over distances spanning several centimetres, helping the bacteria survive the harsh environment on the seafloor. \u2018It is a whole new type of [bio]molecular structure,\u2019 says lead author Filip Meysman<\/a> from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.<\/p>\n

\"Figure\"<\/p>\n

The basic building blocks the bacterium Candidatus Electrothrix gigas needs to make MOFs are strikingly similar to those used by chemists. However, while the metal core and connecting linkers remain the same, \u2018the resulting supramolecular structure is very unique and novel\u2019, says Meysman. These bacteria build bundles of intertwined MOF nanoribbons that are \u2018unseen in human-made materials\u2019. Such an architecture creates an excellent electronic environment for electrical conductivity, with conjugation and delocalisation to \u2018enable electron transport over extremely long distances\u2019, he adds. Bacteria capable of creating conductive cables \u2018originated about 600 million years ago\u2019, and have probably been making MOFs ever since, explains Meysman.<\/p>\n

\u2018This is a great discovery,\u2019 says Aitziber Cortajarena<\/a>, an expert in biomaterials based at CIC biomaGUNE in San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain. This is the first report of a MOF of biological origin, she explains, which \u2018reveals a new set of [bio]tools to create conductive structures\u2019. In this case, the MOF is nickel based and linked together by organic dithiolene ligands to form a complex that Cortajarena says closely resembles conductive polymers.<\/p>\n

\"Cable<\/p>\n

Moreover, the bacterium creates a MOF with \u2018highly efficient electric conductivity \u2026 similar to the best synthetic polymers and exceeding most [synthetic] MOFs\u2019, she adds. Meysman says that the conductivity of the MOF is \u2018extraordinary\u2019 adding that \u2018it approaches the conductivity of metals\u2019.<\/p>\n

The bacterium investigated by Meysman\u2019s team are part of a family commonly called \u2018cable bacteria\u2019 and they create these conductive structures to help them survive on the seafloor. \u2018It\u2019s an evolutionary advantage,\u2019 says Cortajarena. Without the wires, a basic biological function would become impossible, she explains. These bacterial \u2018cables\u2019 dig deep into the sediment to access sulfides, which are then oxidised to release electrons for other metabolic reactions. This MOF allows the bacteria to access energy and electron sources that are \u2018otherwise out of reach\u2019. \u2018They carry out redox reactions with electron donors and acceptors separated over centimetres,\u2019 adds Meysman. This distance, only reachable thanks to the MOF nanoribbons, is approximately 10,000 times the length of a single bacterium.<\/p>\n

\"Cable<\/p>\n

Researchers have identified 90 different bacterial species that employ conductive structures and they may all depend on these types of MOFs to survive. \u2018The same spectroscopic signature was detected across cable bacteria \u2026 from different environments, suggesting the [supramolecular] structure is shared by many microorganisms\u2019 in the same family, adds Cortajarena. \u2018It is a strong inspiration towards \u2026 novel hybrid biomaterials.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meysman says that his group is \u2018currently investigating how to produce these wires\u2019, as well as \u2018preparing a start-up\u2019 to commercialise the conductive materials. The MOF supramolecular structures could stimulate \u2018the design of sustainable and [efficient] electronic materials\u2019, he adds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time, researchers have discovered a microorganism that has made metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs) and it appears…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":941990,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[49,48,66],"class_list":["post-941989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/941990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}