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ALGAE POWERED LAMPBY MIKE THOMPSON

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CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII

30-nanometre-wide gold electrodes were

inserted directly into these algal cells

to draw off electrons carrying energy

absorbed from light.

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LATRO ALGAE POWERED LAMP2035 -

The drive for alternative energy sources inresponse to dwindling fossil fuel reserves hasled to many so-called green energy solutions.

However, such is mans dependency on oilthat no one solution can be considered thedenitive answer to our growing energydemands. As such, our future energy needs

will be met by various sources, not least bytapping into the energy capacity of our mostimmediate, natural surroundings.

As advances in nanotechnology lead to moreenergy efficient products, for example,developments in LED technology, small-

scale, natural energy resources such asplant life and algae will become attractivesources of energy. It will become not justeconomically appealing, but essential to createa new symbiosis between man, nature andtechnology.

Algae has long been cited as the next superfuel due to its high concentration of lipidoils (contributing half of algaes compositionby weight). Scientists have studied this

oil for decades as the key ingredient in theproduction of biodiesel, creating a fuelthat burns cleaner and more efciently thanthe petroleum it was born to replace.However, almost three-quarters of the sunlightenergy absorbed by algae is lost before itcan be turned into the sugars or starches usedto make biofuels. In 2010, scientists from

Yansei and Stanford University pioneereda technique by where 30-nanometre widegold electrodes

were inserted into the photosynthesisingorgans chloroplasts of algal cells, thusmanaging to draw a small electrical current

from algae during photosynthesis. In thefuture it may be possible to power smallelectrical devices by stealing electrons fromphotosynthesising algae. Latro is a speculativeproduct responding to this future market.

Latro (meaning thief in latin) incorporates boththe natural energy potential of algae and thefunctionality of a hanging lamp into its design.Synthesising both nature and technology inone form, Latro is a living, breathing product.

Algae are incredibly easy to cultivate, requiringonly sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO 2) and water,thus offering a remarkably simple way ofproducing energy. Breathing into the handleof the lamp provides the algae with CO 2 ,

whilst the side spout allows the addition ofmore water and release of oxygen. Placingthe lamp outside in the daylight, the algae usesunlight to synthesize foods from carbondioxide and water. A light sensor monitorsthe light intensity, only permitting the leechingof electrons when the lux level passes thethreshold. This way, algae can be tappedfor electricity during photosynthesis withoutleaving the algae malnourished. The energyis subsequently stored in a battery readyto be called upon during hours of darkness.Owners of Latro are required to treat thealgae much like a pet feeding and caringfor the algae rewarding them with light.

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WIRED

30 nanometre wide gold electrodes are

inserted into the chloroplast of each algal

cell. Each cell registers a current of 1.2

picoamps equivalent to a yield of 0.6

milliamps per square centimetre.

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HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS

Algal cells inserted with gold

nanoelectrodes are connected to one

central battery, storing energy for use

during hours of darkness.

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STEP 1. WATER

Latro requires 3 basic materials for

photosynthesis: water; CO 2; and sunlight.

The side spout allows for topping up water

and the release of oxygen, created as a by-

product during photosynthesis.

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STEP 2. CO 2Blowing into the handle gives the algae

the CO 2 needed to synthesize foods during

photosynthesis.

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STEP 3. SUNLIGHT

Hanging the lamp outside in the daylight,

the lamp draws electrical current from the

algae during photosynthesis.

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INTERVIEW PROF. DR WIM J VREDENBERGUNIVERSITY OF WAGENINGEN

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INTERVIEW WITH

PROF. DR. WIM J VREDENBERG

UNIVERSITY OF WAGENINGEN

1. Firstly, could you please explain a little

bit about your research into the electrical

potential of plants?

I am by education an experimental physicist.

An experimental physicist is given an object

to study its properties. These can be mechanical,

electrical, magnetic, quantum mechanical

etc. For measurements you need technology,

for interpretation you need knowledge. I got

my university degree [at Utrecht] in 1960,

and starting from the 40s a new area came

up Biophysics the application of physical

technology and knowledge to study biological

processes. At that time I came in contact with

the group in Leiden, and they were working

on photosynthesis in photosynthetic bacteria.

Until then, one knew that bacteria, like green

single cells and leaves, used light to reduce

carbon dioxide into sugars and evolve oxygen.

That was photosynthesis. At the time I started,

one asked the question light to sugar?

How is that done? When a molecule absorbs

light it comes into a higher energy state

and then that state somehow causes its energy

to discharge an electron from one side to the

other, from what we call a donor to an acceptor.

So we have electrical transfer, electron transfer.

How can you study something of that electron

transfer? If 100%

of this energy is converted then its most

efcient, but thats of course never the case.

Always, and I have spoke about that a lot,radiation is coming back uorescence.

If you have a green leaf, and I shine a light

on it, you can measure uorescent light from

that leaf that is red. Thats about 2 - 10%

loss. Now you will understand that this easy

to measure. Whats inside all of this and

whats formed is more difcult. But you can

understand that if you have a healthy leaf you

give light to, that 90% is converted there.

If you give more and more light, the leaf says,

sorry my capacity is full, I cant store more.

Ill send it back as uorescence. You see

over time that the uorescence is not constant

and that it changes. These changes say

something about whats going on inside.

2. I understand you have used similar

techniques to those employed by Yonsei &

Standford University to study photosynthesis

in algae. Could you explain a little bit about

this work?

Each cell is surrounded by a cell wall, an ex-

ternal membrane, and each cellular component

is surrounded by a membrane. Now suppose

that the chlorophyll molecule is situated in a

membrane in such a way that the

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electron goes from one side of the membrane

to the other. You have displaced a charge from

one side to the other. If you do that, you havemade a charge separation. You have created

an electrical potential. [Pointing to a magnied

image of a leaf from Peperomica Metallica]

Here you come into the chloroplast with a very

small glass needle. Now you shine a ashlight

on the chloroplast. You see that the electron

crosses the membrane. You were speaking

about nanotechnology. This is micro-technology,

but the principle is there. Coming back to

what Stanford did. We made glass micro-glass

capillaries. The opening of these capillaries are

less than 1 micron, therefore you are happy that

there are leaves that have big chloroplasts.

This was already done in 69. The Russians

showed they were able to insert a micro

-pipette into a chloroplast, shine a light on

it and see electric potential. In 1970 there

was the International Bio-Physics Congress

in Moscow so I went there to visit the lab.

One of the PHD students that had worked

on the research was with me 2 years later.

We spent several years together and I learnt

it from him. Instead of these glass capillaries

[Yonsei & Standford University] used very

thin gold 60 nanometres. Thats incredibly

small. It should be small because you dont

want to disrupt the system.

If you puncture it, its like a balloon pop.

They have been more successful with

developing solid-state electrodes with whichto do it, but in principle what they do is

the same as what we have done.

3. Do you think this research has potential

as a means of generating low quantities of

energy?

The potential, electricity, you have, but the

current, the power, is very low. But thats the

principle from one chloroplast. If you cut a

leaf, you see the leaf cells. In the leaf cells are

six chloroplasts. If you now ask how many

is that in the tree, you have to multiply all the

cells in the leaves, and then you have a certain

amount of energy there. Why didnt I do that

calculation? If you have one leaf, you count

the number of elements you need to collect

the electricity. Its a closed system. But then

I become the biologist. Why should I do that?

I could draw the electricity from this green cell,

but I could wait to have enough timber and

burn it. I have done experiments to measure

electricity so I can understand why this is

this and why this happens. So if you ask is it

theoretically possible? As far as we know, yes.

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CHLOROPLAST

Chloroplasts are organelles containing

chlorophyll that are responsible for

photosynthesis in plant cells.

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4. During their tests, the team shone

a halogen lamp on their alga, their circuit

registering a current of 1.2 Pico amps equivalent to a yield of 0.6 milliamps per

square centimetre. By increasing the light

intensity that value rose to a maximum

of 6 milliamps per square centimetre.

Some silicon solar cells have a current density

of 35 milliamps per square centimetre.

To give you an idea of the potential, a 5mm

Superbright LED requires 15mA of current

or 3.22v. Im no expert in electronics but it

would seem to me that this research has

great potential. For example, it has been

suggested that developments in nano-

technology will lead to LEDs becoming

increasingly energy efcient, requiring

less energy to emit light. What is your view

on this?

You use the word scaling. Thats also behind

my question: Why should I do it better than

the plants? This is one chloroplast. Now, to

make an approximation: Take a small plastic

bag a sandwich bag. Take a big garbage bag.

Fold it, make it small, and put it in the small

sandwich bag. Then you have the chloroplast.

In the same volume you have magnied,

many-fold the surface. If we want to make an

articial leaf that produces the same amount

of energy as a natural leaf you have to deal

with this architecture to magnify your sensitive

surface. You mention that we can make

so many picoamps per square centimetre, so you can ask what is the surface area needed?

You could ask how is the leaf doing it? Thats

a very interesting point in biology.

5. By taking an individual approach to energy

production consumers become more alert to

their consumption and our understanding of

products and energy changes. A new process

emerges by where the amount of light you

receive is intrinsically linked to the care and

respect paid to the product. In this sense

Latro is not viewed as just another product,

but rather as a pet, feeding and caring for the

algae rewarding us with energy.

We have a word for it adaptation. A plant

can come under stress and that stress, you

see. Plants adapt their form to a limitation in

function. They adapt to the local conditions.

You could ask, how does a plant know that

it doesnt have sufcient water, or, how does

it know to react in that way? That is intelligence.

I come to this point because you ask, how

do we look at energy, how do we use and

consume energy? If we have too much what

do we do with the surplus? Do we throw

it away or do use it for other purposes? Or

do we, and thats what plants do, if they have

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ARABIDOPSIS PROTOPLAST

Arabidopsis protoplast showing

chloroplasts in blue. Taken using a

Confocal Microscope by Prof. Bruce

D. Kohorn, Professor of Biology and

Biochemistry at Bowdoin College.

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too much they adapt their machinery so the

excess diminishes. Thats what you might

call a feedback system. A surplus in thechloroplast might lead to the activation

of another organelle so the surplus is not

wasted but used elsewhere.

If you take a piece of gold and you want to

measure its heat conductance, come the

following day, if you take the same piece or

another piece, you get the same result its

pure gold. If you work with a leaf, that is

different. You are working with living material.

That shifts your appreciation. If you work

with living cells there is much amazement

in how it is structured, how it functions.

Why is its structure changing in another climate

to adapt so that it can prot from lesser or

better conditions?

But lets come to your point. If you are inte-

rested to see how we behave with respect

to the use of energy, then you can also learn

from nature. I can imagine that as a designer,

you could bring this into some form or

construction. It is fascinating that you look

at photosynthesis, that you come up with

this because some people were able to extract

electricity from algae. My message to

you would be, that you put in your design,

the fascination, the amazement of how the

process works, and try to visualise thatthe fascination is bigger because the structure,

the architecture in which this occurs, is so

balanced, so super ne. Its nano.

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LATRO

By taking an individual approach to

energy production consumers become

more alert to their consumption and our

understanding of products and energy

changes.

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Mike Thompson

t: +31 (0) 638 584 931e: info@miket.co.ukw: www miket co uk