Recent research by a team of scientists from Okayama University has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the light-harvesting structures of plants. The study could serve as a foundation for future advancements in harnessing artificial photosynthesis.
The researchers analyzed coccolithophores, a subset of haptophytes, the marine algae that comprise almost half of the ocean's biomass. As the study noted, despite this undeniably vital ecological role, the mechanism by which coccolithophores harness the sun's energy is still not well understood.
The team used cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) to perform a deep structural analysis of the algae. In simple terms, Cryo-EM is a cutting-edge imaging technique that enables the creation of detailed 3D images of biological molecules with remarkable accuracy. The analysis uncovered key insights into how the algae convert energy, and that could have some extremely far-reaching implications.
One of the study's authors, Dr. Jai-Ren Shen, told Phys, "These algae are extremely efficient at harnessing sunlight for energy; by understanding the structure of their photosystems, we get one step closer to mimicking these natural systems for artificial light energy harvesting."
Artificial photosynthesis is an incredibly exciting, albeit emerging, field of research. By recreating a plant's ability to convert energy from the sun directly, boundless opportunities await.
Solar energy, as we use it today, relies on photovoltaic cells, and while improving all the time, can only convert a fraction of the sun's energy. Plant photosynthesis is far more efficient, and replicating it could remove all of the current limitations of solar energy. Just one hour of sunlight provides enough energy to power the entire world for a year, per Purdue University.
Another game-changing application for artificial photosynthesis is in agriculture. As extreme weather events become more severe, food insecurity is a growing problem, and water scarcity is one of the driving factors. Still, if artificial photosynthesis is fully harnessed, it could reduce the water needs by a factor of thousands, according to ScienceDirect.
Of course, those developments are a long way off yet, but studies like this are blocks from which those game-changing technological advances will be built.
|
Would you rather have a Tesla or a Corvette? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Tesla 🚙 
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
