The researchers taught the bacteria to synthesize nutrients from the sun’s energy and make it more efficient.
Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, created a bacteria that feeds on light and containing the semiconductor nanocrystals. Germs-cyborgs unable to synthesize different organic compounds, making it more efficient than photosynthesis. The results of the work presented at the 254-th conference of the American chemical society.
In the experiment, were used photosynthetically bacteria Moorella thermoacetica, which in the process of respiration to produce acetic acid from carbon dioxide. The researchers added to a nutrient medium on which microorganisms grow, cadmium and the amino acid cysteine contains a sulfur atom. In the result, the formed nanoparticles of cadmium sulfide, functioning as a microscopic solar panels.
Hybrid microorganism, designated by researchers as M. thermoacetica-CdS that is able to synthesize acetic acid from carbon dioxide, water and solar energy. According to scientists, using genetic modification it is possible to force the bacteria to produce the nutrients, fuel and plastics. Furthermore, this technology is wasteless.
The quantum efficiency of the photosynthesis reaches 30%, as for the assimilation of one mole of carbon dioxide is required only 114 calories (kcal), although in reality this is the number of photons that contains 381 kcal. In bacteria, the cyborgs, the figure increased to 80 percent.
© 2017 – 2019, paradox. All rights reserved.
