Scientists create glow-in-the-dark, rechargeable houseplants

Chinese scientists turned succulents into glow-in-the-dark, rechargeable lights that shine in a variety of colors.

These are not the first bioluminescent houseplants, Nature noted: A genetically modified petunia that glows green went on sale in the US last year.

The new work takes a different approach, enabling the plants to shine in a variety of different colors, including blue, red, and purple. To make the fluorescent succulents, the team injected the plants with phosphor particles that can absorb energy from light at one wavelength, store some of it, and then re-emit it at another wavelength, similar to how glow-in-the-dark paint works.

The researchers say they hope their technique could be used to design sustainable, plant-based lighting.

— Claire Cameron



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