biostudies-literatureHobisch MMarie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreementFETH2020 Future and Emerging Technologies3219-3225https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8456840biostudies-literatureUnknown14(15)Cyanobacteria have the capacity to use photosynthesis to fuel their metabolism, which makes them highly promising production systems for the sustainable production of chemicals. Yet, their dependency on visible light limits the cell-density, which is a challenge for the scale-up. Here, it was shown with the example of a light-dependent biotransformation that internal illumination in a bubble column reactor equipped with wireless light emitters (WLEs) could overcome this limitation. Cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 expressing the gene of the ene-reductase YqjM were used for the reduction of 2-methylmaleimide to (R)-2-methylsuccinimide with high optical purity (>99 % ee). Compared to external source of light, illumination by floating wireless light emitters allowed a moChemSusChemInternal Illumination to Overcome the Cell Density Limitation in the Scale-up of Whole-Cell Photobiocatalysis.PMC8456840899576764920Castiglione KHobisch MSpasic JKourist RMalihan-Yap LBarone GDTamagnini PKara SfalseInternal Illumination to Overcome the Cell Density Limitation in the Scale-up of Whole-Cell Photobiocatalysis.Cyanobacteria have the capacity to use photosynthesis to fuel their metabolism, which makes them highly promising production systems for the sustainable production of chemicals. Yet, their dependency on visible light limits the cell-density, which is a challenge for the scale-up. Here, it was shown with the example of a light-dependent biotransformation that internal illumination in a bubble column reactor equipped with wireless light emitters (WLEs) could overcome this limitation. Cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 expressing the gene of the ene-reductase YqjM were used for the reduction of 2-methylmaleimide to (R)-2-methylsuccinimide with high optical purity (>99 % ee). Compared to external source of light, illumination by floating wireless light emitters allowed a mo2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Aug2026-05-08T14:27:23.604Z2022-02-11T11:21:33.432ZS-EPMC84568403413852410.1002/cssc.202100832