Julian Melchiorri, a student from the Royal College of Arts in London has created the Silk Leaf, a slice of silk proteins containing chloroplasts extracted from plants. The Silk Leaf doesn’t just resemble a real leaf in aesthetics but also in function, as it is photosynthetic.

As many of you would already know photosynthesis is the essence of everything good in this world. Through this process, plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen that makes life possible for almost every other living entity on the planet.

While the mass production of the Silk Leaf is still in its R&D stage, many are very excited over the practical applications of this product. This man-made leaf could be used to purify the air indoor or outdoors at a large scale while being sustainable in energy consumption. Buildings and skyscrapers could be coated with this material turning urban areas into breathing ‘forests’.

Source: http://www.julianmelchiorri.com/Silk-Leaf

Watch the video below of the full commentary by Julian Melchiorri himself!