Increasing the rate of photosynthesis. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Increasing the rate of photosynthesis

07.09.2018

The ability to recreate the process of photosynthesis in the laboratory is a very tasty morsel for scientists and researchers in the context of modern biological science - if only because it could solve a number of problems associated with the ability to grow something outside of our planet. So researchers from the University of Cambridge have been working on such a project for a long time - and today they presented its first results, which are very promising. And the thing is that they managed to significantly increase the efficiency of natural photosynthesis using a mechanism that had been dormant in plants for a long time.

We are talking about increasing the efficiency of natural photosynthesis of plants through the use of a special photoelectrochemical cell of artificial origin, which is attached to the plant photosystem, which consumes the red and blue spectrum of light. Moreover, this attachment is carried out with the help of a special enzyme called hydrogenase, first found in algae, which have the ability to photosynthesis.

This combination makes it possible to significantly increase the efficiency of the latent evolutionary mechanism of natural photosynthesis in plants, while avoiding the use of any kind of catalyst of electrical origin. For example, early work in one way or another concerned the possibility and necessity of using electricity to enhance photosynthetic properties - however, this approach has a number of very noticeable limitations and does not solve the problem of growing plants outside their natural habitat - that is, outside our home planet.

The results of specialists are very promising in view of the fact that in this way a significant loss of time and the need to use third-party catalysts can be avoided. Many are sure that the technology and method presented by these specialists will become a part of practice in a certain future and may become one of the conditions for the possibility of flying to other planets and colonizing them. After all, the ability to seamlessly grow plants is worth a lot!

<< Back: Fifth type of Higgs boson decay into other elementary particles discovered 07.09.2018

>> Forward: The smell of rain 06.09.2018

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Sugar based fuel cell 22.01.2014

The fuel cell, created by American biotechnologists, works using sugar and a set of synthetic enzymes. The current source has a record high electrical capacitance, which will make it possible to use such energy sources to power gadgets and household appliances, according to an article in the journal Nature Communications.

"Sugar is one of the most ideal ways to store energy ever invented by nature. So it seems very logical that we tried to use its energy potential and develop a "green" food source, whose production will not be able to worsen the ecological situation on Earth", - says Percival Zhang from the Virginia Polytechnic University (USA, Blacksburg).

Percival Zhang and his colleagues experimented with various synthetic and natural enzymes capable of converting sugar into other forms of organics or oxidizing its decay products. During the experiments, scientists managed to compile the necessary set of proteins that can decompose sugar as efficiently as possible, extracting the maximum free electrons from its decay products.

Scientists adapted a mixture of enzymes to work as a catalyst in an ordinary fuel cell, after which they tested it in action. As it turned out, such a fuel cell produced electricity with a record efficiency for power supplies of this class. At the same time, the fuel cell could compete in terms of electrical capacity with lithium-based batteries that are now common.

All that is needed for this fuel cell to work is a small amount of water, sugar and air. Unlike many other fuel cells, the development of American scientists is safe to use, since during the operation of the power source no hydrogen or other gases are released that can explode. The authors of the article believe that the high efficiency of their development will allow the new fuel cell to supplant the now common power sources in the coming years.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews