Researchers at ETH Zurich have engineered synthetic minimal cells that mimic a basic photosynthetic process. These lab-made “protocells” contain protein complexes that absorb light and convert it into chemical energy, similar to how chloroplasts work in plants. While not fully alive, these protocells can sustain a light-driven chemical cycle, offering a model system for early cellular life and possibly future bio-inspired solar energy systems. The work hints at how primordial life forms may have used sunlight to power themselves before full photosynthesis evolved, and how bioengineered systems could one day generate renewable energy.
Source: ETH Zurich
Scientists Create Synthetic Cells That Use Light to Produce Energy
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