British scientists create plants that glow

Published April 27, 2020

The basics: They did it using mushroom genes; previous attempts using genetics or nanoparticles either killed the plants or had light that didn’t last long. The excuse: “a fresh way for scientists to explore the inner workings of plants”. The reality: the possibility of “self-illuminating Christmas trees”. The future: Once they figure out how to make the light respond to “environmental, developmental, chemical or pathogenic stimuli,” you’ll have plants that tell you when you’re sick … or gardens that deliver advertising.

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