Algae lamps may soon light up streets!

Left photos:
“In 2010, scientists from Yansei and
Stanford University” inserted electrodes
“into the photosynthesising organs –
chloroplasts – of algal cells, thus managing
to draw a small electrical current from
algae during photosynthesis. As advances
in nanotechnology lead to increasingly
energy efficient products, plant life such as
algae will become attractive sources for
tapping energy.”
Right photos:
A most recent project by Thomson takes
another step toward practical applications
of light. The Trap Light uses
“photoluminescent pigments to capture
escaping light and convert waste energy
back into visible light.” In collaboration
with Gionata Gatto, Mike worked with a
special glass blowing technique to “embed
[these] pigments into the body of the
lamp.”