Plants that breathe water from the “air”

Feb 13, 2016 • 8:39 PM UTC

Unknown Location

140x Magnification

Microorganisms

Manu Prakash

I am a faculty at Stanford and run the Prakash Lab at Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University. Foldscope community is at the heart of our Frugal Science movement - and I can not tell you how proud I am of this community and grassroots movement. Find our work here: http://prakashlab.stanford.edu

258posts

1181comments

42locations

This is not a story of “fire breathing dragons” – because they don’t exist; but alas a story of “air breathing plants” which do exist and are an incredible answer to challenges that evolution solves to explore and “enjoy” new ecological niches. An ecological niche is described as an environmental setting that an organism adapts to which makes it particularly suitable.
This is my second post exploring drawing as a means to communicate. I hope you will join me in making detailed observational drawings of things you post.
Enjoy the story of the “great” air breathing plant. Any of you can buy this plant at any garden store and solve the unsolved mysteries hidden right under your eye.
An important reason to think about this; is also the fact that as a society – we are running out of options to provide clean water for everyone on the planet. Billions of people have no access to clean water – and technologies that can practically pull out water from the air, are crucial bridge to making clean water accessible to people around the world. Are you up to the challenge? Of yes, think small, think surface tension and think biology. Good luck.

Cheers
Manu