Air turns into steamed buns, what does it taste like? Scientists: Too expensive, and we can't afford it

When reviewing the recent "black technologies" of mankind, "turning air into steamed buns" must be one of them.

Not long ago, the research team of Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that they had achieved the "artificial synthesis of starch from carbon dioxide" in the laboratory. Once this news was released, it attracted widespread attention: Is the artificial synthesis of starch a major breakthrough or "water turning into gasoline"? Some people also joked that since air can be turned into steamed buns, then can drinking "northwest wind" really make you full?

Today, China Youth Daily and the Science Communication Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly launched the first immersive "Frontier Science Course" to focus on this theme. Here, middle school students walked into the "artificial starch synthesis" laboratory "site", talked face to face with scientists, and touched upon the most cutting-edge scientific discovery of "carbon dioxide turning into starch".

Facing the breakthrough of artificial starch synthesis

What are some of the creative ideas that middle school students have?

How do scientists give interesting answers?

Take a look at the first cutting-edge science course!

In the program, Teacher Cai Tao demonstrated the process of starch turning blue when it encounters alkali

Scientists explain the artificial synthesis process of starch to students

According to calculations, the speed of artificial starch synthesis is about 8.5 times that of corn (calculated based on average corn yield), and the theoretical energy efficiency is about 3.5 times that of corn. According to the current laboratory level, the annual starch production of 1 cubic meter reactor is equivalent to the corn starch production of 5 mu of land, but there is still a long way to go to realize the application of technology, and there are still many technical difficulties to overcome.

In fact, Mr. Cai Tao and his team have only done this one thing for 6 years.

Organized more than 30 notebooks

6 years of hard work

Finally realized the "magic" of "carbon dioxide turning into starch"

Cai Tao: I hope young people can learn the basic knowledge down to earth and connect the learning process with practical applications. I hope you can also get involved and do things that are helpful to society.

Today’s “Frontier Science Class” will come to an end here, but our pursuit of science will not stop here.