Morgen E. Peck
Discovery
March 19, 2014
Consider for a moment the magical work done by chloroplasts. These are the plant organelles that absorb light from the sun, convert it into chemical energy and ultimately use it as a building block for synthesizing glucose, the primary source of fuel for both plants and animals. While their achievement has the appearance of alchemy, like every other organelle, these chloroplasts are but little machines. Now, it seems they’re due for an upgrade.
In a paper published yesterday in the journal Nature Medicine, chemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that when injected with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), chloroplasts can be coaxed to photosynthesize more efficiently than normal.
The first phase of photosynthesis, referred to commonly as the “light reactions,” involves excitation of pigments and the subsequent transport of electrons between multiple photosystems. The researchers used this flow of electrons as a measurement for the rate of photosynthesis and found that when the nanotubes were present the flow increased by 49 percent.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!