photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process through which plants and other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy.Photosystem I in plants reveals a hitherto unobserved face/Molecular examination with high precision.Photosynthesis is the most important foundation of life on Earth. In it, biomass and sugar are produced from the sunlight’s energy by plants and single-celled algae. Oxygen is also released throughout this process. Now, for the first time, the structure of a novel protein complex that catalyzes energy…

A study from six chemists at the University of Chicago shows an innovative new system for artificial photosynthesis that is more productive than previous artificial systems by an order of magnitude. Above, an artistic illustration of the process. Credit: Illustration by Peter AllenUniversity of Chicago breakthrough creates methane fuel from sun, carbon dioxide, and water.Humans have relied on fossil fuels for concentrated energy for the past two centuries. Our society has been taking advantage of the convenient,…

Researchers built a “light trap” around a thin layer using mirrors and lenses, in which the light beam is steered in a circle and then superimposed on itself – exactly in such a way that the beam of light blocks itself and can no longer leave the system.A “light trap” was developed in which a beam of light prevents itself from escaping. This allows light to be absorbed perfectly.If you want to use light efficiently, you have to absorb it as completely as possible. This is true both in <span…

Conducting a series of experiments over years, scientists have gained a deeper understanding of plant physiology and their water requirements. When plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, they tend to lose a large amount of water. This water is crucial for them as it makes up their dry plant matter besides providing hydration to it. In the new study, scientists have discovered a long-hidden secret that might now help in making plants survive even using less water.Plants need around 300 grams of water just to…

The process of turning water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight into oxygen and energy helps plants to grow naturally – and it's a process that scientists are looking to harness and adapt in order to produce food, fuel, and more besides.  In a new study, scientists outline an experimental artificial photosynthesis technique, which deploys a two-step electrocatalytic process to turn carbon dioxide, water, and electricity generated by solar panels into acetate (the main component of vinegar). This acetate can then be harnessed…

In what could be a major breakthrough in the study of life on other planets, scientists have reconstructed the condition in which the earliest organism on Earth must have existed. The reconstruction was done using light-capturing proteins in living microbes. The earliest life forms on Earth, including bacteria and single-celled organisms called archaea, inhabited a primarily oceanic planet to protect themselves from the sun's radiation in the absence of an ozone layer. The early microbes developed rhodopsin, proteins with…

Scientists have improved on the natural process of photosynthesis, not only growing plants more efficiently, but doing so in the dark. This could expand agriculture to areas that don’t get enough sunlight, and even help feed future space explorers.As you may recall from elementary school science class, photosynthesis is where plants absorb energy from sunlight and use it to create their own food from carbon dioxide and water. The process has helped plants – and by extension, life on Earth – thrive for billions of years,…

Plants are growing in complete darkness in an acetate medium that replaces biological photosynthesis. Credit: Marcus Harland-Dunaway/UCRArtificial photosynthesis is being developed by researchers to help make food production more energy-efficient on Earth, and maybe one day on <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Mars</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Mars is the second smallest planet in our solar system and the fourth…

Researchers have found a way to bypass the need for biological photosynthesis altogether and create food independent of sunlight by using artificial photosynthesis. The study was published in the journal, Nature Food.Researchers used a two-step electrocatalytic process to convert carbon dioxide, electricity, and water into acetate, the form of the main component of vinegar. Food-producing organisms then consume acetate in the dark to grow.Combined with solar panels to generate the electricity to power the…

Plants too can make “secret decisions.” Surprised to hear that? Well, researchers have found in a new study that plants have an unforeseen set of processes that they use to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere during photosynthesis. The discovery was made while studying a classic plant model organism called thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana)_. _The recent research was led by Xuyen Le, a plant molecular scientist at the University of Western Australia, along with Harvey Millar, plant…