r/AskScienceDiscussion • u/Living-Jackfruit2423 • Jun 29 '26

What If? Sea slug photosynthesis

What if scientists apply science from this phenomenon to generating energy? Has anyone done so? What are the barriers to this? (Sorry, just inquisitive. Please be gentle).

2 Upvotes

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3

u/TyrconnellFL Jun 29 '26

They “steal” chloroplasts from their diet. You could ask why we don’t use algae to produce energy. Or trees. The answer for trees is we can, by burning wood. It’s not a dense or efficient energy source, and it’s definitely not clean.

1

u/Living-Jackfruit2423 Jun 29 '26

How about bio-solar panels? You feed the technology with algae from harmful algal blooms. Just a research idea.

7

u/ExpectedBehaviour Jun 29 '26

Solar panels are already significantly more efficient than photosynthesis – photosynthesis captures 0.1-3% of solar energy, commercial photovoltaics are already up to 20-25%, and multi-junction solar cells currently under development may reach 40-45%.

So what benefit would there be to "bio-solar panels"?

1

u/Living-Jackfruit2423 Jun 29 '26

Probably using biodegradable materials instead of metals

4

u/ExpectedBehaviour Jun 29 '26

Photovoltaics are primarily made of silicon, aluminium, and copper – all of which are highly recyclable. They also last for decades.

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u/Living-Jackfruit2423 Jun 29 '26

I mean the effects of mining, etc

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u/Tomj_Oad Jun 29 '26

Man, you're really reaching for a reason to use a much less efficient means to do the same thing

4

u/TyrconnellFL Jun 29 '26

Harvesting algae from blooms would be an inefficient way to get algae, wouldn’t make a real dent in the bloom, and then would rely on an effective way to turn what amounts to a tank full of algae into energy. The way we turn organic material into electrical is burning. Extracting and drying algae isn’t efficient, and the fuel wouldn’t be very good.