Temperature-Dependent Characterization of Long-Range Conduction in Conductive Protein Fibers of Cable Bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Multicellular cable bacteria display an exceptional form of biological conduction, channeling electric currents across centimeter distances through a regular network of protein fibers embedded in the cell envelope. The fiber conductivity is among the highest recorded for biomaterials, but the underlying mechanism of electron transport remains elusive. Here, we performed detailed characterization of the conductance from room temperature down to liquid helium temperature to attain insight into the mechanism of long-range conduction. A consistent behavior is seen within and across individual filaments. The conductance near room temperature reveals thermally activated behavior, yet with a low activation energy. At cryogenic temperatures, the conductance at moderate electric fields becomes virt

SUBMITTER: van der Veen JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11603878 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature