INTRODUCTION
The leaves of trees are one of the main sources of oxygen on our planet. Through chlorophyll photosynthesis, in fact, leaves absorb carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere from the sun and release oxygen and this process has been widely studied and understood by scientist.
London-based Royal College of Art’s graduate Julian Melchiorri has engineered the first man-made biological leaf. The project is called Silk Leaf.
ABOUT SILK LEAF
The artificial leaves are composed mainly of silk proteins and chloroplasts (a type of organelle present in plant cells and eukaryotic algae) and due to the photosynthetic capabilities of chloroplasts, absorbs CO2 and produces oxygen, chemicals and sugars that can be used as an energy source. For its operation, the artificial leaf needs only sunlight and water. Made from a silk-based material, it uses photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen. In collaboration with Tufts University silk lab in Massachusetts, Melchiorri extracted chloroplasts from plant cells and eukaryotic algae and suspended them in a silk matrix (silk protein fibers can stabilize molecules) and the result is a photosynthetic material that can breathe and absorb water in the same way as a real leaf. The first man-made, biologically functional leaf that takes in carbon dioxide, water, and light and releases oxygen.
HOW IT IS BENEFICIAL
Its advantage over regular plants would be that it does not require soil or special nutrients and is not confined to any problems that plant growth might face in zero gravity on Earth, the leaf could be used for both indoor and outdoor environments, literally providing a breath of fresh air. On a larger scale, by integrating this sort of tech into buildings you could reduce their carbon footprint. The electricity is sourced from solar panels strapped on the spaceship or space station. Melchiorri’s leaf has the added advantage of working without any external energy input. This invention could have huge implications for space travel, providing a renewable supply of oxygen to astronauts and allowing them to undertake longer journeys than previously possible. Instead of cylinders and tanks full of 02, space stations could be “filled” with artificial leaves capable of autonomously producing the oxygen that astronauts need to breathe and survive. Obviously, Melchiorri’s is only an idea that will need many tests and experiments before being implemented. The first data, however, are encouraging: some experiments conducted by the engineer have shown that a single artificial Silk Leaf can produce fair amounts of oxygen. The level of production could also be optimized thanks to Nano-bionic interventions on chloroplasts present in the artificial leaves.