2024-05-01 14:39:28
Soon on the market: a plant that glows in the dark.
Plants that glow in the dark are not entirely new… Researchers have already several times had fun incorporating genes for jellyfish or fireflies into plants. The latter, however, emitted an almost imperceptible glow, and only in the presence of a specific substrate.
This time the real lamp post plant comes out of the lab! Young American start-up Light Bio intends to “reinvent the horticulture industry” by selling its luminescent petunias to the general public from the end of April. Approved by the United States Department of Agriculture, their protégé shines continuously and autonomously. It was developed by around thirty biologists who succeeded in increasing luminescence 100 times compared to previous techniques. Their tactics? Give it a fungus gene, in addition to the firefly gene.
The fungus in question produces light molecules from caffeic acid, a substance naturally produced by plants. THE firefly petunia can therefore use its own caffeic acid to produce luciferin (which then emits light thanks to the firefly gene), then recycle the luciferin into caffeic acid, and so on. You follow? Regardless, the plant costs $29 and Light Bio is “actively exploring regulatory options to export it to Canada.”
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#pictures #Garden #light
