Notable that 'natural' photosynthesis only has a 1% efficiency at producing biomass. The best plants get 2%.

That's really low compared to standard solar panels at 20% efficiency, or expensive lab solar panels at 47% (output: electricity).

Basically, we have already beaten nature. Aiming to copy nature at this game is probably fruitless.

If we’re talking strictly about producing energy, yes, but this isn’t a method for more efficient or desirable solar energy production. This is an attempt to recreate the biomanufacturing processes of plants, so that we can use solar energy and rain to synthesise desirable organic compounds in situ. If we can do that, then it’s very exciting that we’ve blown plant efficiency out of the water before, because it means we should be able to do it in this domain too.

It depends, the efficiency isn't the only the parameter. Plants are beloved and self sustained, there are plants that have been alive for thousands of years. Even when the plants die, they can be useful and are naturally recycled. Also, they are able to grow to enormous sizes with the materials available on site, and although it can create challenges plants are desired in most environments.

Our advanced high efficiency devices are cool but the ultimate solar devices can be something with many characteristics of the plants.

Except nature’s framework comes with ability to manufacture and self maintain with infrastructure requirements that literally fall from the sky(rain). Given most of the cost of solar panels is installation and maintenance there are still places for photosynthesis.

> Basically, we have already beaten nature

I don't understand the logic. Can you build life building blocks with solar panels? I don't think so. So your metric is irrelevant.

"The synthetic potential of the present transformation is highlighted by a short synthesis of terfenadine, a pharmaceutically important anti-histamine compound."

It was all fun and games until the Viagra weed got loose.

Part of the forbidden eleven.

https://anathem.dlma.com/data/Eleven.html