A breakthrough in the creation of bioluminescent plants will allow in the future to illuminate streets with trees, rather than street lamps.
To create glowing plants, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) turned to an enzyme called luciferase. It acts on a molecule called luciferin, causing the latter to emit light.
Another molecule, called coenzyme A, aids the process by removing a reaction byproduct that can inhibit luciferase activity.
The MIT team packaged each of these components into a separate type of nanoparticle carrier.
Nanoparticles help them get into the right part of the plant, as well as prevent the occurrence of their concentrations that are toxic to plants.
As a result, they obtained an aquatic plant called watercress that functioned as a table lamp.
The researchers believe that, with further customization, the technology could also be used to provide sufficient lighting for a workspace or even an entire street, as well as for low-intensity home lighting.
The advantage of such a "lamp" is that it does not need power supply - the "lamp" glows due to energy exchange within the plant itself, reports the Daily Mail.
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