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photosynthesis

11/22/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Study explores semi-artificial photosynthesis; a new way to produce and store solar energy

Researchers found a better way to squeeze more electricity out of solar power. An article in Science Daily described how they modified photosynthesis so that it could split water into its component molecules. In the photosynthetic process, sunlight is used by plants, some bacteria, and certain protists to turn carbon dioxide and water into food. Oxygen is […]

08/29/2018 / By Edsel Cook

New technology enables scientists to generate energy from live bacteria

Researchers have come up with a new and natural way to harvest energy from the sun. Instead of creating a more efficient solar panel or photovoltaic material, they devised a means of getting electricity from photosynthetic cyanobacteria, an article in News Wise reported. This family of microorganisms is often found in lakes, seas, and other areas that […]

08/23/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Scientists look at the sleep cycles of trees to reveal stress and disease in crops

A study involving more than 20 different species of trees uncovered a mysterious cycle of canopy movement that takes place during the night. Furthermore, each species adhered to a different sleep cycle. An article in Science Daily states that changes to this overnight movement could be used to diagnose any anomalies in crops that are […]

08/10/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

New artificial photosynthesis device to be used to harvest clean hydrogen fuel

Science is not new to seeking inspiration from nature. A photochemical diode capable of artificial photosynthesis could be the latest solution to obtaining clean energy, says research published in the journal Nature Communications. The device is comparable to a conventional solar cell – they are, in fact, made from almost the same materials. It uses […]

07/06/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Plant cells that enable photosynthesis found to also play a role in plant self defense

Your biology teacher would tell you that chloroplasts are the parts of plant cells that turn sunlight into food via photosynthesis. However, chloroplasts also pull double duty by warning the plant’s nucleus about a pathogenic infection or an environmental stressor, reported a NewsWise article. This insight comes from a collaborative study between the University of Delaware (UD) and the University of […]

06/19/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Marine scientists use underwater microphones to “hear” the sound of photosynthesis

Researchers have found a new way to measure the photosynthesis levels of marine plants. A Cosmos Magazine article details how they employed underwater microphones that can pick up the sound of oxygen released by the plants. Like their terrestrial counterparts, algae seaweed and other aquatic plants generate oxygen during the photosynthetic process. Because they are underwater, the oxygen […]

05/14/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Plants starved for energy found to resort to “self-cannibalism” by breaking down and consuming cells from their own leaves for survival

Plants will do just about anything to survive, and according to researchers at Tohoku University, that includes turning to autophagy – or destroying its own cells – and getting much-needed amino acids to survive energy-starved “hunger” conditions. The results of the study, published in Plant & Cell Physiology, also looked at how autophagy can be manipulated to […]

04/28/2018 / By Jessica Dolores

We could soon harvest energy from leaves fluttering in the wind

Most people dismiss stray leaves fluttering in the wind as one of those everyday, ordinary things. They seldom stop and take a second look unless it’s autumn, and leaves burst into flaming colors of orange, red, yellow, and purple. But do you know that the humble leaf can someday be a source of light energy? […]

03/27/2018 / By David Williams

Reusing CO2: Scientists are closer to converting it to clean energy

Nature emits carbon dioxide (CO2) as part of many different natural processes. Plants are known to take them in as a necessary ingredient in photosynthesis, and it benefits the Earth in a lot of different ways, such as accelerating plant growth and food production. Although the planet’s CO2 levels are currently near record lows throughout […]

06/28/2017 / By Jhoanna Robinson

Physics breakthrough can use sunlight to directly transform CO2 into clean fuels like methane, without using fossil fuels

Researchers at the University of Adelaide, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, have found a way to keep on using carbon-based fuel technologies without producing too much of the atmospheric greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by doing away with fossil fuels. In the study that was published in the Journal of […]

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