The first man-made leaf can provide oxygen through photosynthesis.
One of the obstacles to extended space exploration is the absence of oxygen throughout the universe. While Earth provides us with trees and other plant life to convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into the oxygen that sustains us, no such benefit exists amongst the stars. That’s why an invention by Julian Melchiorri, graduate of Royal College of Art, has caught NASA’s attention.
Melchiorri has developed the first man-made and biologically functional leaf. The device has the ability to absorb light, water and carbon dioxide and convert those substances into breathable oxygen. Made from a silk protein, the leaf uses chloroplasts to activate its photosynthesizing properties.
“The material is extracted directly from the fibers of silk,” explains Melchiorri in an Upriser article. “This material has an amazing property of stabilizing molecules. I extracted chloroplasts from plant cells and placed them inside this silk protein.”
Along with making breathing in space a possibility, the invention also adds life to the concept of space colonization. Instead of trying to grow life on planets with limited water sources, manufacturing Melchiorri’s leaves and layering the walls of a structure with them would conceivably provide all the oxygen needed.
The invention, however, is presently more of a concept than a practical device as the efficiency of the photosynthesis process has not yet been tested. But Melchiorri has also considered the item’s potential to improve indoor air quality as an air purifier of the future. Architects may one day be able to design leaves into the construction of a building as easily as they can be used to create air purifying lampshades.
Nevertheless, until the day comes when we’re able to use man-made leaves to cleanse the air in our offices and homes, US Air Purifiers Direct 2U provides the best service in home air purifier products and the most extensive desktop air purifier options. Contact us today!