Thylakoid membranes from spinach were separated into grana and stroma thylakoid fractions which were characterized by several methods (pigment content, protein gel electrophoresis, photosystem activities, and electron microscopy analysis) to confirm that the intact thylakoids were differentiated into the two domains. The results of photoelectrochemical experiments showed that stroma thylakoid electrodes generate photocurrents more than four times larger than grana thylakoids (51 ± 4 nA cm⁻² compared to 11 ± 1 nA cm⁻²). A similar trend was seen in a bio-solar cell configuration with stroma thylakoids giving almost twice the current (19 ± 3 μA cm⁻²) as grana thylakoids (11 ± 2 μA cm⁻²) with no change in open circuit voltage.

Glutathione is an important biological molecule which can be an indicator of numerous diseases. A method for self-powered detection of glutathione levels in solution has been developed using an enzymatic biofuel cell. The device consists of a glucose oxidase anode and a bilirubin oxidase cathode. For the detection of glutathione, the inhibition of bilirubin oxidase leads to a measurable decrease in current and power output. The reported method has a detection limit of 0.043 mM and a linear range up to 1.7 mM. Being able to detect a range of concentrations can be useful in evaluating a patient’s health. This method has the potential to be implemented as a quick, low-cost alternative to previously reported methods.