Ambient plant illumination could light the way for greener buildings
Collaboration between MIT architect and chemical engineer could be at the center of new sustainable infrastructure for buildings.
Written by Becky Ham
MIT News

These beautiful glowing plants may be a new source of lighting for the buildings of the future.

The light-emitting plants, which were first created by MIT researchers in 2017, are not genetically modified to produce light. Instead, they are infused with nanoparticles that turn the plant's stored energy into light, similar to how fireflies glow.

"The transformation makes virtually any plant a sustainable, potentially revolutionary technology," says Michael Strano, the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT.

"It promises lighting independent of an electrical grid, with 'batteries' you never need to charge, and power lines that you never need to lay," he added.