The BBC’s [Peter Yeung] had an interesting post about a small French town experimenting with using bioluminescent organisms to provide lighting. A firm called Glowee is spearheading the effort in Rambouillet and other towns throughout France, using a variety of biological techniques to harness nature’s light sources.
Glowing animals are reasonably common ranging from fireflies to railroad worms. In the case of the French street lighting, Glowee is using a marine bacterium known as aliivibrio fischeri. A salt-water tube contains nutrients and when air is flowing through the tube, the bacteria glow with a cool turquoise light. The bacteria enter an anaerobic state and stop glowing if you shut off the air.
While the company claims the bulbs take less energy to produce and operate than LED bulbs, they also admit that the bulbs produce a fraction of the light. We aren’t clear on how the nutrients get into the tubes and how long the bulbs last. Critics point out that the bulbs will probably be very temperature sensitive and the density of the bacteria could vary depending on their reproduction.
Animals that generate light do so using a chemical reaction involving an enzyme known as luciferase. One strategy that Glowee wants to develop is extracting luciferase and using it without the living organisms. Apparently, this same technology is used by a Canadian company to produce biodegradable glow sticks.
Using biological lighting isn’t a new idea. According to the BBC, miners have been known to use fireflies in jars where a flame is too dangerous and tribes in India have used glowing fungi to illuminate dense jungle areas.
We’ve seen novelty lighting use these techniques to good effect. It also makes a decent nightlight.
Honey, Did you Feed the Lamp? Company Wants to Create Living Light Bulbs
Source: Manila Flash Report
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