How can we transition to a net zero energy system by 2050? Right now, we are far from achieving this goal, and novel ways of producing energy are urgently needed. Fortunately, we can look to nature for many innovative solutions.
Please note: this program ends at 13:35, so a little later than you are used to from our Wednesday afternoon programs.
Please do not make a reservation via this website, if you have already subscribed for the Impossible Physics symposium via the Van der Waals website.
Huub de Groot draws inspiration from nature to examine how we could create artificial photosynthesis. To do so, he aims to understand the fundamentals of direct energy conversion by proteins, complexes, membranes and cells in natural photosynthesis. Recreating this process artificially could be a game changer: “I expect artificial photosynthesis to be fully operational in 2050; by that time, it will be the backbone of our energy supply”.
Bio-tech designer Ermi van Oers strives for a future where plants become part of our energy system and where technology and nature will merge; where cities are illuminated by the energy released from urban parks and where the Amazon Rainforest can function as a power plant. With the project Living Light, Van Oers is creating a lamp which harvests its energy through the photosynthetic process of the plant.
Prof. dr. Huub de Groot is a professor of biophysical organic chemistry at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University. Since 2007 he has been working on transferring principles from photosynthesis into artificial photosynthesis, and since 2012 he has served as the scientific director of the Dutch BioSolar Cells consortium. This is a public-private partnership in which nine knowledge institutes and more than thirty companies work on the development of high-yield photosynthesis and artificial photosynthesis for food, fuel, and chemical feedstock.
Ermi van Oers is a designer and co-founder of Nova Innova, a creative startup that combines nature, science, and design to generate crucial, sustainable breakthroughs. She graduated cum laude from Willem de Kooning Academy (Rotterdam) in 2016, where she studied product design. In biodesign she saw the opportunity to change our artificial, polluting systems to sustainable, circular ones by integrating natural processes.
This program is organized in collaboration with study association Van der Waals (Applied Physics) and is part of their symposium on Impossible Physics.
Ticket reservation recommended
To be assured of a seat, we recommend reserving a ticket (black "order" button).
SG & USE registration
Please register your participation on the spot when attending the program, by scanning your student card before the start of the program at the venue.
More information about SG & USE can be found here.