Will we ever… photosynthesise like plants?

[Mindful]

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy has led to the intriguing idea that humans could one day create solar-powered nourishment.

Will we ever… photosynthesise like plants?

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy has led to the intriguing idea is that humans could one day do the same.

www.bbc.com

 

[Mindful]

^ Humans have to grow, hunt, and gather food, but many living things aren’t so constrained. Plants, algae and many species of bacteria can make their own sustenance through the process of photosynthesis. They harness sunlight to drive the chemical reactions in their bodies that produce sugars. Could humans ever do something similar? Could our bodies ever be altered to feed off the Sun’s energy in the same way as a plant?

As a rule, animals cannot photosynthesise, but all rules have exceptions. The latest potential deviant is the pea aphid, a foe to farmers and a friend to geneticists. Last month, Alain Robichon at the Sophia Agrobiotech Institute in France reported that the aphids use pigments called carotenoids to harvest the sun’s energy and make ATP, a molecule that acts as a store of chemical energy. The aphids are among the very few animals that can make these pigments for themselves, using genes that they stole from fungi. Green aphids (with lots of carotenoids) produced more ATP than white aphids (with almost none), and orange aphids (with intermediate levels) made more ATP in sunlight than in darkness.

 

[JGalt]

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy has led to the intriguing idea that humans could one day create solar-powered nourishment.

Will we ever… photosynthesise like plants?

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy has led to the intriguing idea is that humans could one day do the same.

www.bbc.com

Vincent already tried that.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy

I do that. Just had a bowl of oatmeal with bananas and blue berries. It was easy!

 

[Cougarbear]

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy has led to the intriguing idea that humans could one day create solar-powered nourishment.

Will we ever… photosynthesise like plants?

The discovery that some animals have found ways to feed off the Sun’s energy has led to the intriguing idea is that humans could one day do the same.

www.bbc.com

It's already happening. We can see Democrats devolving into veggies...