Toward standard testing methods in biophotovoltaics based on cyanobacteria
8 affiliations
- 1Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- 2Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- 3Centre for Functional Ecology-Science for People & the Planet, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- 4Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- 5Environmental Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Environment, Construction and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
- 6Planair SA, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
- 7Institute of Applied Sustainability to the Built Environment (ISAAC), Department of Environment, Construction and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
- 8Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Environmental Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Environment, Construction and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland; Corresponding author
Abstract
Microbial biophotovoltaics (BPVs) are an emerging renewable energy technology that harnesses photosynthetic microorganisms to generate electric current. Despite the rapid growth of the field, the lack of standardized testing and reporting methods currently prevents the benchmarking of devices, slowing technological progress. This article provides a critical analysis of the experimental practices used in BPV research, highlighting the significant variability in device configurations, light sources, electrode materials, biomass quantification methods, and electrochemical measurement protocols reported in the literature. It further considers the historical standardization of protocols for conventional photovoltaics (PVs) and the resulting acceleration of the maturation and market adoption of PV technologies. Drawing inspiration from conventional PVs, the article outlines key steps toward BPV standardization, including defining common testing conditions, methods for data normalization, shared reference systems, and round-robin testing protocols. Establishing consensus in the testing protocols would significantly improve reproducibility and enable meaningful comparisons across laboratories, accelerating the development and deployment of BPVs.
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BibTeX
@article{mouhib2026toward,
title = {{Toward standard testing methods in biophotovoltaics based on cyanobacteria}},
author = {Mohammed Mouhib and Charlotte Roullier and Paulo R.F. Rocha and Bin Lai and Pamela Principi and Carsten Palkowski and Fabio Parolini and Mauro Caccivio and Ardemis Anoush Boghossian and Melania Reggente},
journal = {Cell Reports Physical Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103594},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103594},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Toward standard testing methods in biophotovoltaics based on cyanobacteria
AU - Mohammed Mouhib
AU - Charlotte Roullier
AU - Paulo R.F. Rocha
AU - Bin Lai
AU - Pamela Principi
AU - Carsten Palkowski
AU - Fabio Parolini
AU - Mauro Caccivio
AU - Ardemis Anoush Boghossian
AU - Melania Reggente
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Cell Reports Physical Science
DO - 10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103594
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103594
AB - Microbial biophotovoltaics (BPVs) are an emerging renewable energy technology that harnesses photosynthetic microorganisms to generate electric current. Despite the rapid growth of the field, the lack of standardized testing and reporting methods currently prevents the benchmarking of devices, slowing technological progress. This article provides a critical analysis of the experimental practices used in BPV research, highlighting the significant variability in device configurations, light sources, electrode materials, biomass quantification methods, and electrochemical measurement protocols reported in the literature. It further considers the historical standardization of protocols for conventional photovoltaics (PVs) and the resulting acceleration of the maturation and market adoption of PV technologies. Drawing inspiration from conventional PVs, the article outlines key steps toward BPV standardization, including defining common testing conditions, methods for data normalization, shared reference systems, and round-robin testing protocols. Establishing consensus in the testing protocols would significantly improve reproducibility and enable meaningful comparisons across laboratories, accelerating the development and deployment of BPVs.
SN - 2666-3864
ER -