Model microorganism Geobacter sulfurreducens extracellularly respires metal electron acceptors through conductive micron length pili appendages that are homopolymers of a single gene product, PilA.This dissertation investigates the physical and electronic properties of a truncated pilin that retains all amino acids identified as critical to electron transfer, self-assembly and metal binding capacity. This research shows potential applications in bioremediation, sensing, or metal reclamation.
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