If you want to add a futuristic touch to your gardenkeep an eye on the market bioluminescent plants. a company called Light Bio is developing genetically modified plants that glow in the dark.
Using the genetic makeup of bioluminescent fungi, the company’s scientists were able to transfer DNA sequences into tobacco plants, which resulted in leaves emitting a neon green glow that lasted from seedling to maturity.
When the lights are on, these plants look like any other green foliage. But at night, or in the dark, tobacco plants emit a glow that radiates from the inside out, giving you a better view of leaf veins and pattern.
Light Bio bioluminescent plants can be cared for like any other houseplant. No additional care is required.
The team is currently preparing to release its first commercial plant – the Firefly Petunia – and invites the public to join a waiting list.
These specimens are not just beautiful to look at, the team at Light Bio hope they will also bring more understanding and acceptance to the world of synthetic biology. The idea is that, after mastering bioluminescence, plants could be genetically altered to change color and brightness, or physically respond to their environments and surroundings.
You can get on the waitlist to get your hands on a brilliant Firefly Petunia when the plant becomes available in 2023. Your houseplant collection is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
*Via Apartment Therapy