Despite the common understanding that plants need sunlight to grow, a research team from Purdue University has succeeded in growing plants using only red and blue LED light. Farmers have been using high-pressure sodium lamps as a supplement to sunlight in greenhouses. Surprisingly, the seedlings grown under the LED light showed similar or, in some cases, better results than those grown in conventional greenhouses. Professor Roberto Lope, associate professor of horticulture, said, "It was quite surprising to see how uniform, compact, and sturdy the seedlings produced under LED lights were.” High-intensity LEDs convert electricity into light that the plants use for photosynthesis. Because LEDs are much more efficient than conventional sources of light,in that they consume less energy and last longer, this finding could be used to augment the efficiency of the production of seedlings.