'Cyborg' bacteria deliver green fuel source from sunlight

[OrbitalDawn]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40975719

Scientists have created bacteria covered in tiny semiconductors that generate a potential fuel source from sunlight, carbon dioxide and water.

The so-called "cyborg" bugs produce acetic acid, a chemical that can then be turned into fuel and plastic.

In lab experiments, the bacteria proved much more efficient at harvesting sunlight than plants.

The work was presented at the American Chemical Society meeting in Washington.

Researchers have been attempting to artificially replicate photosynthesis for many years.

In nature, the green pigment chlorophyll is key to this process, helping plants to convert carbon dioxide and water, using sunlight, into oxygen and glucose.

But despite the fact that it works, scientists say the process is relatively inefficient. This has also been a big problem with most of the artificial systems developed to date.

This new approach seeks to improve that efficiency by essentially aiming to equip bacteria with solar panels.

 

[konfab]

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.

That is garbage journalism.

A solar panel has about a 20% efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity.
These bacteria have 80% efficiency in turning CO2+sunlight+water into acetic acid.

They are comparing apples and oranges.

Also they don't provide the connection between efficiently producing a fuel source from acetic acid.