How Daniel Nocera’s artificial photosynthesis could lessen dependence on fossil fuels and synthetic fertilizer

Imagine you could produce fuel and food from sunlight. Professor Daniel Nocera invented artificial photosynthesis to do just that. His bioengineered micro-organism can inhale CO₂ and produce fuel, or inhale nitrogen to produce fertilizer. In time, that versatile bacterium could help reverse the effects of climate change, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and synthetic fertilizers with just one simple tool.