UT researcher Barry Bruce is highlighted as one of 10 global "Revolutionaries" in this Forbes Magazine article on people in fields from science to public policy and social work who are poised to change the world with their work. Bruce, an associate professor in the Center for Environmental Biotechnology, is working to harness the natural process of photosynthesis -- how plants convert sunlight into energy -- as a way to create substantially more efficient solar energy technology.
David M. Ewalt, at Forbes, writes:
"The system is far preferable to conventional photovoltaic solar power systems, because it doesn't require the complex manufacturing process of solar cells, which uses a number of toxic and limited materials. And since the photosynthetic particles are easily harvested--Bruce extracts them from garden-variety spinach using a standard kitchen food processor--it should be a lot cheaper."
