I was intrigued to read about a Cambridge University bioengineering project to extract the genes and proteins that produce bioluminescence in fireflies and other organisms, and implant them in trees and bushes, producing 'natural' light for cities that might one day replace (or at least augment) artificial light. The Daily Mail reports:
Scientists are developing ways of making trees glow so they can be used as natural streetlights without the need for electricity.
A team of researchers are experimenting with genes to allow the trait that causes fireflies to glow -bioluminescence - to be implanted into a variety of different organisms.
As well as replacing traditional streetlights, bioluminescent plants would be useful for people who are not hooked up to the electricity grid.
And if more lights were ever required, they could simply be grown.
The scientists at Cambridge University used genes from fireflies and a special form of glowing sea bacteria to create ‘BioBricks’ – genetic building blocks that can be inserted into a genome.
After inserting the modified genes into a sample of e-coli bacteria they were able to produce a range of colours – and created a living light that was bright enough to read by.
. . .
The research was presented at the annual International Genetically Engineered Machines competition (iGEM), held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.The Cambridge University team of researchers
The team say that there is huge commercial potential in replacing the street with natural bioluminescent systems.
The idea is also extremely environmentally friendly as no electricity would be required and the process which produces the photons of light is extremely energy-efficient.
There's more at the link.
The Cambridge University team set up a Web site for their project as part of the IGem 2010 competition site. It provides much more information (a lot of it far too technical for me to understand!), as well as many pictures (including those shown above) and some video clips. The researchers appear to have had a lot of fun . . . as evidenced by this music video where they spoof themselves and their technical discipline.
Looks like everyone got into the spirit of the occasion! So much for dour, dogged scientists . . .
Peter
6 comments:
As much as people rail against GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and so-called "Franken-food" I expect this will eventually meet the same kind of hostile resistance.
I like the idea though, and I would definitely grow a couple of glowing pine trees in my front yard, if only to thumb my nose at the home owners' association.
A line of bio-luminscent bushes along my home would make a pretty good deterrent and be "greener" than a solar motion sensored light.
This could be very useful in all sorts of applications.
Oh man. This is going to be quite the earworm for me.
Glowing trees instead of streetlights?
Oh... oh my.
It's like Lothlorien all over again. That could be cool. :)
What about the life cycles of the other plants and animals in the area that often depend on darkness?
Poinsettias don't produce those Christmas flowers everyone likes without (I forget the exact number) hours of darkness every night, and I've heard there are some plants so sensitive that a single flashlight one time in the greenhouse will stop them.
Cute, but me in the "not enough is known about possible impacts" category.
I now know what I want to use as lighting in my impenetrable, underground, nuclear-war-proof secret base that I want to get. xD
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