Photosynthesis is one of the most authoritative chemical reactions on our major planet , responsible for immediately and indirectly for the atomic number 8 we respire and the food for thought we rust . It is powered by sunlight , withabout 1 percentof the vigour of the Sun ending up in the plant . Now , researchers have dramatically increased the efficiency and done away with sun altogether .
As describe inNature Food , the squad used a two - step process . First , they used an electrocatalytic process to create ethanoate – the main constituent of vinegar – from carbon dioxide , water , and electricity . Acetate can then be eat up by food - producing organisms to spring up in double-dyed darkness .
“ We were able-bodied to grow food - give rise organisms without any contributions from biologic photosynthesis . Typically , these organisms are cultivated on lettuce derived from plants or inputs derived from rock oil – which is a product of biologic photosynthesis that took blank space millions of years ago , " Elizabeth Hann , a doctoral candidate at UC Riverside and co - lead author of the study , said in astatement .
Plants are growing in complete darkness in the acetate medium. Image Credit: Marcus Harland-Dunaway/UCR
" This technology is a more efficient method acting of turn solar energy into food for thought , as compared to nutrient output that relies on biologic photosynthesis . ”
When employing solar panels to produce electrical energy , the team ascertain that the conversion efficiency of sunshine into food was 18 time mellow for yeast . make algae grow was about four time more energy efficient . The team also tested this on fungal mycelium that make mushrooms .
“ With our approach we sought to key out a newfangled mode of producing solid food that could break through the limits unremarkably inflict by biologic photosynthesis,”saidcorresponding writer Robert Jinkerson , a UC Riverside helper professor of chemical and environmental engineering .
The team also test the approach on known crop to see if they could be grow with acetate rayon and without sunlight . Black - eyed pea , tomato , tobacco plant , rice , canola , and green peas were all able-bodied to apply carbon from acetate when cultivated in the dark .
“ We find that a wide image of crop could take the acetate rayon we provided and build it into the major molecular building block an being needs to grow and flourish . With some breeding and engineering that we are currently work on we might be able to produce crops with ethanoate as an extra Energy Department source to boost crop yields , ” tell Marcus Harland - Dunaway , a doctorial candidate in the Jinkerson Lab and co - lead generator of the study .
The approach could be employed to increase carbon paper capture approaches using cultivars , as well as growing food without sunlight both on Earth – and maybe even in place .
