June 1, 2024
IITKGP Research Team find that plants’ electrical rhythm could be a renewable energy source
IITKGP Foundation
Researchers from IIT Kharagpur, led by Dr. Suman Chakraborty, studied the potential of using plants to produce electricity by leveraging their circadian rhythm. Plants capture light for photosynthesis and absorb water and nutrients during the day, while growth processes slow down at night. Dr. Chakraborty explained that the natural energy gathered in plants offers a continuous and sustainable renewable energy source. The team's goal was to determine the amount of potential electricity plants can produce and how this potential is influenced by their biological clock.
The researchers inserted electrodes into water hyacinths and attached reservoirs with electrodes to lucky bamboo. They found that the electrical potential in plants varies in a cyclic rhythm that matches their daily biological processes. This potential increases with decreased ion concentration or increased pH in the fluid, linked to water transpiration and ion transport mechanisms. Their experiments confirmed the possibility of producing electricity in a cyclic rhythm, closely related to the plant's natural daily rhythm. Dr. Chakraborty emphasized that this discovery allows for tapping into electrical power sustainably, with no environmental impact or disruption to ecosystems.
In their research paper on this topic, the IITKGP scientists conclude that “It is incredible to learn that plants can actively modulate the fluid flow inside them under the influence of the diurnal biological clock. Adapting to changing environmental conditions is essential for sustenance of life, and plants have done it through the different ages of evolution.”