Photon management for augmented photosynthesis.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27581187.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms12699 and PMC identifier 5025804.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Microalgae and cyanobacteria are some of nature's finest examples of solar energy conversion systems, effortlessly transforming inorganic carbon into complex molecules through photosynthesis. The efficiency of energy-dense hydrocarbon production by photosynthetic organisms is determined in part by the light collected by the microorganisms. Therefore, optical engineering has the potential to increase the productivity of algae cultivation systems used for industrial-scale biofuel synthesis. Herein, we explore and report emerging and promising material science and engineering innovations for augmenting microalgal photosynthesis.
Medical subject headings
- Biofuels
- Cyanobacteria
- Microalgae
- Photosynthesis