homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Glowing plants imbued with firefly enzymes might one day replace lamps

A bright idea!

Tibi Puiu
December 15, 2017 @ 10:21 pm

share Share

glowing-plants

Credit: Melanie Gonick/MIT.

Your bedpost plants might one day double as a reading lamp if MIT’s latest proect ever takes off. The team, which specializes in nanobionics, embedded nanoparticles into the watercress plant (Nasturtium officinale) to make it glow in a dim light. MIT hopes that this proof of concept one day makes its way into our homes and even replaces street lighting with glowing trees.

“The vision is to make a plant that will function as a desk lamp — a lamp that you don’t have to plug in,” said Michael Strano, Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and senior author of the study, in a statement. “The light is ultimately powered by the energy metabolism of the plant itself.”

To make plants glow, MIT engineers turned to luciferase — the oxidative enzymes that produce bioluminescence lending glowing abilities to animals like fireflies or certain mushroom species. Luciferase catalyzes a compound called luciferin which is what generates the light. Another molecule called co-enzyme A removes reaction byproducts that inhibit luciferase activity.

Previously, Vanderbilt University scientists employed a modified version of luciferase to make brain cells glow in the dark. 

All of these three components were packaged into carriers that balance light and toxicity, submerged in a solution, then exposed to high pressure to force the particles into the stomata pores of leaves. This way, watercress plants were able to expel a dim light for almost four hours before the compounds wore off, as reported in the journal Nano Letters.

Next, the team plans on refining its technique to make plants glow for a longer time. The firefly-compounds could potentially be incorporated in a spray so that basically any plant can be coaxed to emit light. So far, MIT demonstrated the luciferase compounds in plants like watercress, arugula, kale, and spinach.

Such technology could one day prove as a useful alternative to conventional products for low-intensity indoor lighting. In some places, streets lamps could be replaced by glowing trees, for instance, thus reducing our energy consumption and carbon footprint.

“Plants can self-repair, they have their own energy, and they are already adapted to the outdoor environment,” Strano says. “We think this is an idea whose time has come. It’s a perfect problem for plant nanobionics.”

share Share

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

Could a weekly match on the court be the secret to a longer, healthier life?

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

Fossil charcoal reveals early humans’ growing impact on the carbon cycle before the Ice Age.

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

A newly discovered archaeon blurs the boundary between cells and viruses.

This $8750 Watch Was Designed for Space and Could Finally Replace Apollo-era Omega Watches

An audacious new timepiece dares to outshine Omega’s legacy in space

The Brain May Make New Neurons in Adulthood and Even Old Age

Researchers identify the birthplace of new brain cells well into late adulthood.

Your gut has a secret weapon against 'forever chemicals': microbes

Our bodies have some surprising allies sometimes.

High IQ People Are Strikingly Better at Forecasting the Future

New study shows intelligence shapes our ability to forecast life events accurately.

Cheese Before Bed Might Actually Be Giving You Nightmares

Eating dairy or sweets late at night may fuel disturbing dreams, new study finds.

Scientists Ranked the Most Hydrating Drinks and Water Didn't Win

Milk is more hydrating than water. Here's why.

Methane Leaks from Fossil Fuels Hit Record Highs. And We're Still Looking the Other Way

Powerful leaks, patchy action, and untapped fixes keep methane near record highs in 2024.