Firefly enzymes make plants glow

Luminous plants and trees will lose their electric light in the future?

When it comes to the researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the answer is yes. The MIT researchers have made a significant first step towards realizing this vision. They were able to implant special luminous nanoparticles in the leaves of true watercress. The plant then gave enough light to read a book for four hours. The MIT scientists believe it's possible to optimize this process so that plants can illuminate a workplace for a whole day.

Plants as a floor lamp

According to Michael Strano, Professor of Chemistry at MIT, the vision of this project is to develop a plant that takes on the task of a desk lamp - and this completely without electricity. The light is supplied solely by the energy that the plant produces through metabolism. Other future visions include soft room lighting and even glowing trees that could serve as street lighting. In the future, plants could take on more and more functions for which electric light is currently being used. That would make a tremendous contribution to environmental protection, as around 20 percent of the world's electricity is used for lighting.

Can streetlamps be replaced by glowing trees in the future? First luminous plants have already been developed by scientists. (Image: Haz / fotolia.com)

Plants are the better lamps

"Plants can heal damage themselves, they generate their own energy and are already adapted to the environment. On the other hand, technical devices must be supplied with power, technical defects render them unusable or require repair. In addition, they must be protected against the effects of the weather, "explains Professor Strano.

How do the glowing plants work??

The MIT scientists have used enzymes from the luciferase family to develop the glowing plants. The same enzymes also make glowworms glow. The enzyme causes luciferin molecules to begin to glow. The MIT researchers generated nanoparticles that included luciferin, among other things, and mixed these particles with a liquid. The plant is immersed in this liquid and under pressure, the nanoparticles then settle in the leaf cells and allow the illumination. An integrated inhibitor can turn off the lights again. In the future, the researchers want to optimize the plant in such a way that the lighting reacts to external influences and, for example, extinguishes itself when the daylight is bright enough. (Fp)