Plants are able to create energy from sunlight through the process of photosynthesis. Manmade solar panels were created to do the same thing, though it turns out they are much better at it than plants, as some solar panels are about ten times more efficient at generating electricity. However, the process isn’t perfect. One lab decided to blend nature and modern scientific advances and has actually extracted energy straight from plants by interrupting photosynthesis to create truly green energy.
During photosynthesis, plants use carbon dioxide and water to create energy for the plant in the form of starch and sugar. Oxygen is a byproduct of photosynthesis and is formed after the water molecules have been split by enzymes. Once the enzyme splits the water molecule, nanotubes siphon off the newly freed electrons before they can enter the electron transport chain. This was accomplished by altering the thylakoids, which are the structures inside chloroplast where light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis occur. The electrons are then directed down a wire and generate an electrical current.
In the end, this is the moment we can point to when plants get upset, start walking around and eating humans for their energy back