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'Cyborg' bacteria poduce semiconductors, is this how photosynthesis started ?

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  • 22-08-2017 6:33pm
    #1
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,827 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    So much :eek:

    Bacteria that can make biofuel from air , water and toxic waste by making tiny solar panels.

    But for me the epic bit is that IMHO this might be a way life started harvesting energy. A semiconductor crystal exposed to light would have a potential across it and if this could be expressed across a membrane you now have a way to recharge your ATP without needing respiration.

    Far fetched but potentially a protocell could become a little powerhouse able to drive some chemical reactions without needing a full biochemical pathway in place.




    http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40975719
    After combing through old microbiology literature, researchers realised that some bugs have a natural defence to cadmium, mercury or lead that lets them turn the heavy metal into a sulphide which the bacteria express as a tiny, crystal semiconductor on their surfaces.
    ...
    These newly boosted bacteria produce acetic acid, essentially vinegar, from CO2, water and light. They have an efficiency of around 80%, which is four times the level of commercial solar panels, and more than six times the level of chlorophyll.


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