Considering the problems associated with climate change, worldwide scientists are working towards an eco-friendly and energy-efficient era.
Now MIT scientists have come up with glow-in-the-dark plant life. Scientists foresee that these glow-in-the-dark plants could substitute some of the inefficient energy-intensive electric lights.
“We wanted to create a light-emitting plant with particles that will absorb light, store some of it, and emit it gradually,” says chemical engineer Michael Strano from MIT. “This is a big step toward plant-based lighting.”
Science behind
Researchers have created these glow-in-the-dark plants by embedding specialized nanoparticles in plant leaves. These plants can be repeatedly charged using an LED. After just 10 seconds of charging, these plants glow brightly for several minutes.
Although earlier also scientists created plants that can send electrical signals when they require water and watercress that glows in the dark. But, the glow wasn’t particularly bright. So the researchers have enhanced the brightness to more practical levels. Researchers did this by switching the glowing components from luciferase and luciferin.
“Creating ambient light with the renewable chemical energy of living plants is a bold idea,” says MIT architecture researcher Sheila Kennedy.
“It represents a fundamental shift in how we think about living plants and electrical energy for lighting.”
