Radishes grown using artificial leaf-derived fertiliser

By Rebecca Trager2017-04-05T13:00:00

Two bunches of radishes, one grown naturally and one with the aid of the bionic leaf fertiliser system. The aided radishes are considerably larger than the naturally grown ones

Source: Nocera lab, Harvard University

Water-splitting catalyst combined with bacteria that make ammonia and store their own fuel

Harvard University chemist Daniel Nocera and colleagues have built upon the artificial leaf he pioneered in 2011, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen when exposed to sunlight, to make microbes that manufacture and release fertiliser into the soil in which they grow.