'Artificial leaf' may yield power source
<p><span word="Turbo">Turbo</span>-<span word="charging">charging</span> <span word="photosynthesis">photosynthesis</span> - <span word="by">by</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bacteria">bacteria</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="sunlight">sunlight</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> - <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> "<span word="artificial">artificial</span> <span word="leaf">leaf</span>" <span word="could">could</span> <span word="yield">yield</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="vast">vast</span> <span word="commercial">commercial</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="source">source</span>, <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Photosynthesis">Photosynthesis</span> <span word="is">is</span> "<span word="unfortunately">unfortunately</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="efficient">efficient</span>," <span word="Anne">Anne</span> <span word="Jones">Jones</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="assistant">assistant</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="biochemist">biochemist</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Arizona">Arizona</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="University">University</span>, <span word="told">told</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Association">Association</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Advancement">Advancement</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Science">Science</span> <span word="meeting">meeting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Vancouver">Vancouver</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="weekend">weekend</span>.</p><p>"<span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="current">current</span> <span word="fossil">fossil</span> <span word="fuels">fuels</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="products">products</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="process">process</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="photosynthesis">photosynthesis</span> <span word="efficiency">efficiency</span> "<span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="boosted">boosted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="yields">yields</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="sustainable">sustainable</span> <span word="biofuel">biofuel</span> <span word="production">production</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="consumption">consumption</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="surge">surge</span> <span word="by">by</span> 100 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> 40 <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="reserves">reserves</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="up">up</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span>,<span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="weighing">weighing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="range">range</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="approaches">approaches</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="harness">harness</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="photosynthesis">photosynthesis</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="engines">engines</span>.</p><p><span word="Scientists">Scientists</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="low">low</span> <span word="efficiency">efficiency</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="photosynthesis">photosynthesis</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="theoretical">theoretical</span> <span word="yield">yield</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="squeezing">squeezing</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="crops">crops</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="wheat">wheat</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="sugar">sugar</span> <span word="beets">beets</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="about">about</span> 5 <span word="percent">percent</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="efficiency">efficiency</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="percentage">percentage</span> <span word="points">points</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sitting">sitting</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="biofuel">biofuel</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="potential">potential</span>.</p><p><span word="Jones">Jones</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="enzyme">enzyme</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="catalyzes">catalyzes</span> <span word="steps">steps</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="CO">CO</span>2 <span word="fixation">fixation</span>, <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Rubisco">Rubisco</span>, <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="saturated">saturated</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="producing">producing</span> <span word="carbohydrate">carbohydrate</span> <span word="slows">slows</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="absorbed">absorbed</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="heat">heat</span>.</p>
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