Scientists create glowing plants using mushroom genes

[Judi Lynn]

New technique could help shed light on plants’ workings – and lead to unusual home decor

Nicola Davis
@NicolaKSDavis
Mon 27 Apr 2020 11.00 EDTLast modified on Mon 27 Apr 2020 13.30 EDT



Bioluminescence could help scientists explore the inner workings of plants. Photograph: Planta/MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences


Emitting an eerie green glow, they look like foliage from a retro computer game, but in fact they are light-emitting plants produced in a laboratory.

Researchers say the glowing greenery could not only add an unusual dimension to home decor but also open up a fresh way for scientists to explore the inner workings of plants.

“In the future this technology can be used to visualise activities of different hormones inside the plants over the lifetime of the plant in different tissues, absolutely non-invasively. It can also be used to monitor plant responses to various stresses and changes in the environment, such as drought or wounding by herbivores,” said Dr Karen Sarkisyan, the CEO of Planta, the startup that led the work, and a researcher at Imperial College London.

“We really hope to bring this to the market in a few years from now, once we make them a bit brighter, once we make the ornamental plants with this new technology, and once of course they pass all the existing safety regulations,” he added.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/apr/27/scientists-create-glowing-plants-using-mushroom-genes