Author: Chris Young

202 1 May 3rd

3D printed "artificial leaves" can provide sustainable energy for Mars.

Ricky Arnold/NASA

The press release of Delft University in the Netherlands explained that a group of international researchers led by Delft University in the Netherlands used 3D printing technology to create a biomaterial made of algae, which can generate sustainable energy on Mars and can also be used for other applications.

Researchers use a new bio-printing technology to print microalgae into living and elastic materials with photosynthetic capacity. Their research was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

"We have created a material that can generate energy just by putting it in light," Kui Yu, a doctoral student involved in this work, explained in a press release. "The biodegradability of the material itself and the recyclability of microalgae cells make it a sustainable living material."

3D printed "artificial leaves" can provide sustainable energy on Mars.

Microalgae samples printed on bacterial cellulose have potential applications in space. Source: Delft Technologies, Netherlands

Have both.

Using non-living bacterial cellulose and living microalgae to print a unique material, which has both photosynthetic capacity of microalgae and toughness of bacterial cellulose. The researchers said that this material is also environmentally friendly, biodegradable and can be produced on a large scale.

Marie Eve Aubin Tam, an associate professor at the School of Applied Sciences, said: "Printing living cells is an attractive technology for manufacturing engineering active materials." Our photosynthetic biomaterial has a unique advantage, that is, it has enough mechanical stability in the actual environment. "

Artificial leaves of future space colonies

One application that the Delft University of Technology team is proud of is as a sustainable energy source for space colonies, such as the planned future Mars colony.

The team said that this material can be used to make artificial leaves, which can generate sustainable energy and oxygen in an environment where plants grow poorly, such as space.

These leaves store chemical energy in the form of sugar and then convert it into fuel. Oxygen can also be collected in photosynthesis.

Their research adds a scientific document to the solution of planting plants in space instead of transporting materials from the earth, because transporting materials from the earth is too expensive-sending a pound (453 grams) of materials into low-earth orbit costs about $6,543,800+0,000.

For example, in 20 17, the German Space Agency (DLR) experimented with planting tomatoes with recycled astronaut urine on the International Space Station. Espa？ Olay pepper was also chosen as the first fruit to grow in space because of its elasticity, and the team of Delft University of Technology said that their artificial leaves would also contain this ingredient.

You may ask, what about transporting materials to Mars or other future space colonies? The research team of Delft University of Technology said that microalgae in artificial leaves can be regenerated, which means that in theory, a small amount of microalgae can grow into a larger number in space.