S2B – Solar-to-Butanol: Bioinspired Technologies for Sustainable Fuel Production
The S2B project seeks to unlock the potential of photosynthetic microbes for the direct conversion of solar energy and CO₂ into butanol, a valuable biofuel and chemical feedstock. By integrating advanced molecular engineering, materials science, and bioprocess design, S2B transitions microbial butanol production from conventional suspension cultivation to a solid-state biocatalytic platform.
In this innovative platform, engineered thin-layer assemblies of cyanobacteria are combined with bio-based matrix materials to optimize energy and carbon flow toward butanol formation. Simultaneously, S2B enhances light management, CO₂ capture efficiency, and product recovery through a circular economy framework that links light harvesting, CO₂ utilization, and waste valorization.
The multidisciplinary S2B consortium is developing a TRL4-level prototype for continuous, long-term, and direct solar butanol production, demonstrating a new pathway for sustainable fuel generation inspired by natural photosynthesis.
This community serves as an open-access hub for sharing datasets, publications, software, protocols, and other outputs generated within the S2B project and related research on photosynthetic biocatalysis, carbon capture, and solar fuel production.