Automating Photosynthesis
Sustainably supporting human life requires creative technological solutions that remove carbon from the atmosphere and support more efficient food production. We seek new ways to enhance plant tolerance to extreme conditions.
How can we transform the excess of carbon in the air into the food we need? Biology has already solved this problem: photosynthesis is a process evolved by certain organisms including plants which turns sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into food.
We are developing high-throughput platforms that identify cells with enhanced photosynthetic capabilities and turn these into promising new energy crops. In parallel, we are building bionic systems which mimic these transformations. Coupling electrochemistry with the behavior of bacteria, we are building continuous food production systems that use air, water, and electricity to feed microbes as they produce the nutrients we need to survive.