Peas - More than Just Good Food

I’ve always thought photosynthesis was cool.

Yes, photovoltaic solar power is cool too, but converting light energy into electricity doesn’t seem like such a huge transformation. Light – a type of energy we can’t see or touch – being converted into electricity – another form of energy we can’t see or touch.

But photosynthesis, now that’s something. Plants convert light into… well, I always thought it came close to creating life. Using the energy of the sun to help plants grow, to literally form living organic mass.

The news today is that researchers at Tel Aviv University have managed to harness the engine of photosynthesis to create electricity, using nanotechnology.

In a plant, solar energy energizes electrons, triggering a biochemical reaction that leads to sugar production. The mechanism is something called Photosystem 1, a very sophisticated nano-scale arrangement that converts solar energy into chemical energy.

The Tel Aviv researchers managed to isolate tiny crystalline elements of the PS1 from a common pea plant, and tweaked them to generate not chemical energy, but electrical energy. In fact, they created an array of these crystals on top of a layer of gold (an excellent conductor) and laid it out in the sun. The result: 10 volts of juice.

The message: peas are good tasting, good for you, and may be an important part of a balanced energy diet as well.