Green seaweed and filled with silt float in jars, buckets and containers filled with water in the laboratories of the University of Santiago and scientists in the Chilean capital are trying transform them into an efficient source of energy .
Their field of study is biophotovoltaics, which uses a photosynthetic organism, such as seaweed, to convert light into electrical energy. Scientists spread the algae over electrodes in biophotovoltaic panels, similar to solar panels.
“Algae use light to oxidize water and in the process they release electrons,” said project leader Federico Tasca, adding that these electrons can be captured in electrical circuits, with the oxygen released in the process as an added benefit.
Similar projects have used microalgae, which are single-celled organisms, while seaweed is macroalgae, or multicellular organisms, Tasca explained.
“Macroalgae are more resilient, easier to work with, easier to harvest,” Tasca said, acknowledging that the process is still far from being energy efficient. “That’s exactly what the research is about, improving the efficiency of electricity production,” he said.
Seaweed could be used in some cases where alternatives are not available. “It’s a good system to power a light bulb, to light up some LEDs,” he said.
Algae are still little researched, said Alejandra Moenne, who heads the marine biology department at the University of Santiago.
“I have always said that algae are like a treasure chest buried in the sea. They are full of genes and molecules that we do not yet know enough about, and that one day could even be used for medicinal purposes,” said Moenne.
*Reporting by Reuters TV; writing by Fabian Cambero and Kylie Madry; editing by Alexander Smith
This content was originally published in Scientists try to produce energy from seaweed; find out more on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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