autotrophic

/ ˌɔːtəˈtrɒfɪk, ˈɔːtətrəʊf /

adjective

1. (of organisms such as green plants) capable of manufacturing complex organic nutritive compounds from simple inorganic sources such as carbon dioxide, water, and nitrates, using energy from the sun Compare heterotrophic

Other Word Forms

• autotroph noun

Example Sentences

"This bacterium is an autotrophic organism, like a plant. It does, however, not need light like a plant, as it draws its energy from phosphite oxidation."

Read more on Science Daily

The CO2-eating, or autotrophic, E. coli strains can still grow on sugar — and would use that source of fuel over CO2, given the choice, says Milo.

Read more on Nature

That means researchers should be able to insert these changes autotrophic E. coli that eat formate, which is readily made by zapping CO2 in water with electricity.

Read more on Science Magazine

So, he says that it could be that sentient plants offworld would be ones that remain autotrophic and follow the sun, but also literally move.

Read more on Forbes

These three steps can be engineered into autotrophic organisms, an approach that is now being supported by a US DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy programme called Electrofuels.

Read more on Nature