This article, by Zachary Mendis, is part of a series highlighting members of the Office of Sustainability’s Experts Database. In a collaboration with instructor Hannah Monroe’s course, LSC 561: Writing Science for the Public, students interviewed campus sustainability experts and produced short feature stories.
Children learn about the simple process of photosynthesis in elementary school, but what they don’t learn is that photosynthesis has the potential to create energy that human beings can use in their daily lives. One of the first scientific processes children learn about can be the future of energy, if Professor Chris Gisriel has anything to say about it. By observing how different organisms perform photosynthesis in various environments, Gisriel aims to sustainably use the process of making chemical energy easily accessible by studying how organisms do it in nature and integrating that into applied sciences in the lab. In this case, he studies cyanobacteria and engineers crops to perform photosynthesis like they do. By doing this, Gisriel hopes to make this energy an alternative to fossil fuels or other forms of energy.
An assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at UW-Madison, Gisriel developed a passion for biochemistry in community college. Before settling at UW-Madison for the time being, he worked at Arizona State University and Yale University. Here, Gisriel takes pride in how he discusses sustainability in his lab. His research spans both basic and applied sciences by studying what he observes in nature and applying it in the lab.
By studying cyanobacteria (the bacteria that performs photosynthesis), Gisriel hopes to learn how, despite living in areas that get a lot less sunlight than typical microorganisms, cyanobacteria can still do photosynthesis and yield positive results.
When asked about the importance of photosynthesis, especially regarding the cyanobacteria, he said, “there’s a vast diversity of how organisms convert the energy of light to chemical energy. So if we could harness just a small amount of that ability, this could potentially spell major changes for being able to make accessible different types of energy, whether we’re talking about solar energy, or being able to make biofuels, being able to generate hydrogen— it has all sorts of potential consequences.”
One of the potential benefits of this research could apply to crops, by enhancing their production and creating biofuel. When asked about the application process, Gisriel said, “We might look at the molecular basis of the way something does photosynthesis in nature. We might think about how we can simply engineer characteristics from one organism into another, for tweaking metabolism, taking away certain characteristics, or generating new ones.”
Identifying certain characteristics used in photosynthesis in harsh conditions and engineering them into other species can be extremely beneficial, especially when it comes to making energy. Engineering crops to live in these harsher conditions can make energy more accessible— cyanobacteria can live in many harsher climates, ranging from deserts to the Arctic. Applying this to crops can allow them to grow almost anywhere, which, in turn, leads to renewable biofuel energy coming from anywhere. Making this a common practice will be very helpful in the fight against fossil fuels, as replacing a non-renewable energy source can help reduce pollution, protect the environment, and provide many more benefits.
The process of photosynthesis is one of the most important processes on Earth. It is essential for life on Earth, and if Gisriel’s research succeeds, this process will become even more essential. By harnessing the power of chemical energy production, Gisriel aims to solve energy problems by engineering crops for shaded environments. Photosynthesis will always be important for the survival of humans, so evolving this process further makes sense as humans continue to evolve each day.