Jul-06-18
Innovative solar cells powered by bacteria can harness solar energy even on cloudy days.
The biogenic solar cells are an improvement on previous versions, which relied on removing the natural dye bacteria use for photosynthesis—a complex and expensive process. Instead, the team from the University of British Columbia left the dye inside the bacteria by genetically engineering E. coli to produce large amounts of lycopene, which is very effective at photosynthesis. The bacteria were then coated with a semiconductor mineral and applied to a glass surface that functions as the cell’s anode.
According to the team, the bacteria-enhanced device recorded a current density almost twice that of conventional biogenic solar cells even on cloudy days, and can be produced affordably and sustainably.
Image Credit: Vera Kratochvil
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