Scientists pioneer novel model to turn sunlight into fuel
London, Sep 4 : In a breakthrough move, British scientists have used natural sunlight to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen by mixing biological components and man-made technologies.
The team led by academics at the University of Cambridge, used semi-artificial photosynthesis to explore new ways to produce and store solar energy, a finding that could now be used to revolutionise the systems used for renewable energy production.
Their method also managed to absorb more solar light than natural photosynthesis.
"Natural photosynthesis is not efficient because it has evolved merely to survive so it makes the bare minimum amount of energy needed -- around 1-2 per cent of what it could potentially convert and store," said lead author Katarzyna Soko, doctoral student at the University's St. John's College.
Artificial photosynthesis has been around for decades but it has not yet been successfully used to create renewable energy because it relies on the use of catalysts, which are often expensive and toxic. This means it cannot yet be used to scale up findings to an industrial level.
The new model, detailed in the journal Nature Energy, is the first to successfully use hydrogenase and photosystem II to create semi-artificial photosynthesis driven purely by solar power.
The team not only improved on the amount of energy produced and stored, they managed to reactivate a process in the algae that has been dormant for millennia.
"Hydrogenase is an enzyme present in algae that is capable of reducing protons into hydrogen. During evolution this process has been deactivated because it wasn't necessary for survival but we successfully managed to bypass the inactivity to achieve the reaction we wanted -- splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen," Soko explained.
Soko hopes the findings will enable new innovative model systems for solar energy conversion to be developed.
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Fact Check: Burn body fat by drinking water made from boiling garlic, cumin seeds? Let’s find out
Claim: An Instagram video suggests drinking a concoction prepared by boiling garlic and cumin seeds with lemon extract to burn fat.
Fact: The claim is misleading. The recipe alone cannot burn fat. A balanced diet and good exercise are essential.
An Instagram video about an ‘ancient method’ to burn body fat has gone viral. The video advises boiling two cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of cumin seeds mixed with lemon juice in two cups of water and drinking it on an empty stomach to burn fat.
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Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading.
Dr Raghavendra Cherukku, an interventional cardiologist, explained if the method is useful for burning fat: “There is no single strategy to reduce fat. This strategy has to be supplemented with an intake of healthy food and regular exercise. The antilipidemic property of garlic can help reduce LDL and increase HDL but has no impact on triglycerides.”
Garlic has antioxidant and antibiotic properties, which can aid in other health benefits.
“Some studies done on rats and humans have proved the antilipidemic properties of garlic can help burn fat. However, taking the concoction on an empty stomach can be detrimental for those with gastric issues. Hence it can be taken after eating food,” Dr Raghavendra said.
A balanced diet with high protein and fibre, and low oil and low carbohydrates is essential to reduce triglycerides. Food containing carbohydrates, like maida, gets converted into triglycerides, which cannot be reduced by taking the concoction.
“Most South Indian diets use a lot of oil, around 10-15 tablespoons per day, against the maximum requirement of 2-3 tablespoons per day. Physical exercise for 150 minutes per week and a balanced diet are essential to reduce triglycerides and bad cholesterol,” Dr Raghavendra added.
(This story was originally published by newsmeter.in, and republished by english.varthabharati.in as part of the Shakti Collective)
