Frog foam converts sunlight to sugars, wins 2010 Earth Award
In Ohio, University of Cincinnati announced that an artificial photosynthetic foam developed at the University of Cincinnati has won the 2010 Earth Award. David Wendell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and civil and environmental engineering, received the award for the foam, designed with Carlo Montemagno, PhD, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, at the Earth Awards Gala Thursday, Sept. 16, part of the Start Festival this September in London.
The artificial foam, based on the nests made by a species of semi-tropical frogs, converts solar energy to sugars, which can then be converted to biofuels like ethanol. “The advantage for our system, compared to plants and algae, is that all of the captured solar energy is converted to sugars, whereas these organisms must divert a great deal of energy to other functions to maintain life and reproduce,” says Wendell. This makes the foam an extremely efficient form of carbon capture and energy production. As winner of the 2010 Earth Award, Wendell will receive $50,000 to bring the foam to market, starting the process of going from the lab to industrial scale production.
Category: Fuels
