Living interfaces and sustainable bioelectronics

The workshop “Living interfaces and sustainable bioelectronics”, held at the University of Coimbra on the 24^th of September 2026, is organised within the framework of the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project GREEN. This one-day event brings together leading researchers working at the interface between bioelectronics, electrochemistry and microbial systems, with the aim of advancing a new paradigm in sustainable energy generation based on living systems.

A central technological challenge (and opportunity) lies in efficiently coupling living systems to electronic materials. GREEN addresses this by developing low-impedance, large-area and three-dimensional porous bioelectronic interfaces that enable high-density cell colonisation and enhanced charge transfer. By transitioning from conventional planar electrodes to engineered 3D architectures, the project aims to overcome the long-standing power density limitations of bioenergy systems. The workshop programme reflects this multidisciplinary vision. It spans advances in microbial metabolic engineering, photosynthetic biohybrids, water quality sensing using bioelectrodes and fundamental studies of microbial consortia and interfacial charge transfer.

Contributions from internationally recognised experts are complemented by internal GREEN technology demonstrations and poster sessions, highlighting emerging results on electrode design, bioelectrochemical performance and system integration. By bringing together expertise across materials science, microbiology and electronic engineering, this event aims not only to disseminate recent results from the GREEN project but also to foster new collaborations and define future research directions in living bioelectronic systems. Ultimately, the workshop contributes to establishing a foundation for scalable, self-sustained bioenergy technologies that leverage the intrinsic functionality of living organisms.