{"id":188,"date":"2024-08-28T11:20:22","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T18:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/?page_id=188"},"modified":"2025-02-25T10:42:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T18:42:26","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/","title":{"rendered":"Homepage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When most people think of microorganisms, like bacteria, they think of the ones that might make you sick. But that is actually a small slice of the microbial world. What if microbes, the oldest and most successful inhabitants of our planet, present the solutions to humanity\u2019s most pressing problems?<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our research team studies <strong>electric bacteria<\/strong>. Each of these tiny cells, about a hundredth of the width of a human hair, can pull off an amazing trick. As part of their metabolism, they move electrons from the inside of the cells to surfaces outside the cells, a process called\u00a0<strong>extracellular electron transfer<\/strong>. Just like we humans breathe oxygen, electric bacteria evolved this trick to \u2018breathe rocks\u2019 in environments like deep under the Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our lab uses advanced imaging and electronics to understand the molecules responsible for these <strong>electron conduits that link the living world \u2013 bacteria \u2013 to the non-living world of rocks and minerals.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remarkably, it turns out that we can also take advantage of these conduits to wire up bacteria to metal or semiconductor technologies to extract\u00a0<strong>renewable energy, make biofuels, or build new bioelectronics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With these discoveries, it is becoming possible to build biological batteries and fuel cells where bacteria treat waste and convert it to electricity. It\u2019s also becoming possible to reverse the process, inject electricity \u2013 like from solar panels \u2013 into microbes that capture carbon dioxide and make biofuels.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More recently, we started pushing the envelope to ask whether we can build new technologies where living genetically programmable cells fabricate or plug into more traditional electronics that you\u2019re familiar with \u2013\u00a0<strong>living electronics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our work underscores how curiosity-driven research has powered practical innovations. And when we think about the biggest problems of energy and sustainability, sometimes we might want to look at the smallest solutions possible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n        \n          \n          \n          \n          \n          \n  \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--editorial-cards \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--editorial-cards\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  \n      <div class=\"cards-container\">\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n          \n                                      \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/Nanoelectrodes-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/Nanoelectrodes-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 23vw, (min-width:768px) 39vw, 83vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n          \n          <div class=\"text-container\">\n            \n            \n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Biological Electron Transfer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n          \n                                      \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/ColorizedNanowire_Physical-Biology-at-the-Nanoscale-e1728491170904-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/ColorizedNanowire_Physical-Biology-at-the-Nanoscale-e1728491170904-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 23vw, (min-width:768px) 39vw, 83vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n          \n          <div class=\"text-container\">\n            \n            \n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Physical Biology at the Nanoscale<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n          \n                                      \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/MicrobialElectrochemistry-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/MicrobialElectrochemistry-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/MicrobialElectrochemistry-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 23vw, (min-width:768px) 39vw, 83vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n          \n          <div class=\"text-container\">\n            \n            \n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Microbial Electrochemistry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n          \n                                      \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2025\/02\/Untitled-5-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2025\/02\/Untitled-5-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 23vw, (min-width:768px) 39vw, 83vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n          \n          <div class=\"text-container\">\n            \n            \n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p><strong>Living Electronics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n          \n                                      \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/1long-cable-26_Cy3FITCDAPI-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/1long-cable-26_Cy3FITCDAPI-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/1long-cable-26_Cy3FITCDAPI-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 23vw, (min-width:768px) 39vw, 83vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n          \n          <div class=\"text-container\">\n            \n            \n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Environmental Microbiology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n          \n                                      \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/Biogenic-Nanomaterials-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/Biogenic-Nanomaterials-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/08\/Biogenic-Nanomaterials-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 23vw, (min-width:768px) 39vw, 83vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n          \n          <div class=\"text-container\">\n            \n            \n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p><strong>Biogenic Nanomaterial<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--full-width-image-and-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--full-width-image-and-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"image-container\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/Untitled-66-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/Untitled-66-1920x1080.png 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/Untitled-66-1280x720.png 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2024\/10\/Untitled-66-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Research supported by \n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n      <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":640,"featured_media":238,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-188","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Homepage - NanoBio Lab<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/elnaggarlab\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Homepage - NanoBio Lab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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