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ECE 290 Seminar: Biohybrid Electronics Using Extracellular Electron Transfer

October 20 @ 10:40 am

Presenter: Ben Keitz, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin

Description: Qualities exhibited by living systems, including self-regulation, self-healing, morphology control, and environmental responsiveness, are highly attractive for sensing and computing applications. However, it has been challenging to develop robust and programmable interfaces between living systems and electronic components. Addressing this challenge, our lab employs techniques from microbiology, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering to control extracellular electron transfer (EET), a form of microbial respiration in which extracellular metals and metal oxides are used as terminal electron acceptors. Using the model electroactive bacterium Shewanella oneidensis, we coopt EET to link cellular metabolism and protein expression to microelectronic device behavior. Specifically, we show that S. oneidensis can interface with organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) through specific electron transfer machinery. The inclusion of living cells endows single transistors with complex logic, short-term plasticity, and other unique properties. We also establish that S. oneidensis can interact with both p-type and n-type conducting polymers to further control transistor performance. Ultimately, our work demonstrates how unique forms of bacterial respiration can be leveraged to merge the advantages of living and traditional computation.

Bio: Benjamin (Keith) Keitz received his PhD in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a native of Austin, TX and is currently an Associate Professor and the Frank A. Liddell Jr. Fellow in Chemical Engineering in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Research in the Keitz lab focuses on the engineering of electroactive bacteria and the applications of extracellular electron transfer in biocatalysis, materials synthesis, synthetic biology, and biosensing. His work has received several awards including an NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award, an NSF CAREER Award, and an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award.

Hosted by: Professor Marco Rolandi, ECE Department

Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97975378707?pwd=ljcgaCfhMmhZ88Vt5dqQUBVQRjehOx.1

Room: E2-192

Details

Date:
October 20
Time:
10:40 am – 11:45 am
Event Category:

Venue

Engineering 2
Engineering 2 1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
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Last modified: Oct 16, 2025