"When it's sunny, a plant's molecular machinery produces more electrons than the Rubisco carbohydrate-producing engine can handle, and a lot of those electrons are wasted," she said.

The situation, she said, was akin to a power plant unconnected to distribution grid, in which excess energy goes to waste.

"In this sense photosynthesis is like a badly connected electrical grid," Jones said.

Scientists want to harness the excess solar energy by transferring energy absorbed in a photosynthetic light harvesting cell via biological nanowires to a separate cell that will produce fuel.

Questions:

1. How much is the world's energy consumption expected to surge by in the next 40 years?

2. What potential does photosynthesis have if efficiency could be forced up?

3. What's the enzyme that catalyzes steps in CO2 fixation called?

Answers:

1. 100 percent

2. Major biofuel production potential

3. Rubisco

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