Light Energy Conversion Drives Electron Transfer at Mineral-Microbe Interfaces: Mechanisms and Environmental Impacts

Energy metabolism is fundamental to microbial survival， adaptation， and evolution. Although minerals have conventionally been considered primarily as material substrates in microbial energy metabolism， this review systematically describes their functional role as key extracellular light energy mediator. At the mineral-microbe interface， minerals continuously convert light energy into biologically accessible photoelectron， thereby sustaining and driving nonequilibrium life processes. Focusing on the nontraditional energy metabolism pathway of “mineral-mediated microbial light energy conversion”， this review elucidates the light-driven extracellular photoelectron transfer pathway between semiconducting minerals and its associated environmental impacts. Furthermore， the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms governing photoelectron transfer at the mineral-microbe interface are systematically analyzed. Finally， the potential implications of light energy conversion for microbial adaptation and evolution in extreme environments are discussed， along with its relevance to planetary science and astrobiology， and future research directions are outlined.