We have been looking for alternative fuel sources for years! Now, scientists have discovered that certain bacteria can take hydrogen molecules that have been split from water using the energy of the sun, and convert them to alcohol based fuel.

Researcher have now paired a solar-powered catalyzing device with genetically engineered bacteria to convert water and carbon dioxide into fuel. The system has been dubbed the bionic leaf!

The process, which is modeled after the way plants use photosynthesis to turn CO2, H20 and other compound into energy, with some chemical twists, of course. The ‘artificial leaf’ is the silicon cell that can produce the energy using nothing but sunlight and water. The leaf is steeped in water, and when the sunlight comes down, it spits the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules that can then be stored as an energy source. This is the same thing a natural leaf does, except it works ten times faster than nature!

“With a single gallon of water (3.7 litres), Nocera says, the chip could produce enough electricity to power a house in a developing country for an entire day,” “Provide every house on the planet with an artificial leaf, and we could satisfy our 14-terrawatt need with just one gallon of water a day.” Continue reading →