Sci/Tech A new breakthrough in biology allows scientists to grow food without sunlight

[The Helper]

Photosynthesis can be considered one of nature's superpowers, but it's surprisingly inefficient, with only about 1 percent of the energy found in sunlight making it inside the plant.

Now, scientists at UC Riverside and the University of Delaware say they have found a method to bypass the need for biological photosynthesis, allowing them to create food without sunlight via artificial photosynthesis, a press statement reveals.

The researchers, who published their findings in Nature Food, used a two-step electrocatalytic process to convert carbon dioxide, electricity, and water into acetate, which is the main component in vinegar.

They then applied the acetate to food-producing organisms in the dark, causing these organisms to grow. Their method could provide a much-needed food growth alternative in the face of a catastrophic climate crisis.

A new breakthrough in biology allows scientists to grow food without sunlight - Interesting Engineering

Artificial photosynthesis could be 'a paradigm shift for how we feed people.'

interestingengineering.com