BIOMPHO2

The ambition with this project is to unveil the role that photonic structures play in photosynthesis and set the basis to use this natural designs for energy harvesting technologies. For that we will first build a unique piece of equipment suitable to study simultaneously the optical response of a photonic devices and the photosyntetic activity in single cells. We will then study further photonic structures in plants known as iridoplast. This organells are known to produce an enhancement of light absorptance by growing elaborated microstructures suitable for light manipulation. In the final part of the project we will use the knowledge retrived from the natural system to inform the design of artificial mimics. the final devices are expected to present some of the outstanding properties of the natural sytem for light harvesting. This could represent the first proof of concept of a new paradigm in the field of artificial photosynthesys for green energy applications.