TEMPE, Ariz., May 19 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have created a molecule they say regulates its activities in response to the intensity of light.
The molecule was designed by researchers at Arizona State University to mimic the response of plants to an excess of sunlight.
Although plants convert sunlight into compounds vital for survival, too much light harms plants because plants then cannot efficiently use the compounds produced and their accumulation damages the plant.
In an adaptive response, plants convert excess energy from sunlight into heat.
Arizona State University researchers designed and manufactured a molecule that also converts absorbed light to electrochemical energy but the rate of the conversion decreases as the intensity of the light increases. The molecule adapts to its environment, regulating its behavior in response to the light intensity.
The scientists said their research is an important step toward the goal of using nanotechnology to influence living cells.
"Achieving such behavior in human-made devices is vital if we are to realize the promise of nanotechnology," said Devens Gust, an Arizona State University chemist and one of the study's authors.
The study is to appear in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.