Glow-in-the-Dark Plants Could Pave the Way for Tree-Powered Streetlights

Fast Summary

• Researchers developed glow-in-the-dark succulents using phosphor particles without the need for genetic engineering.
• Phosphors, which emit light when exposed to radiation, were injected into plants at a micro-scale size (~7 micrometers).
• Succulents were ideal for glowing due to their dense leaf structure allowing even dispersion of particles. Non-succulent plants did not achieve similar results.
• These modified succulents can glow in red, green, and blue shades for up to two hours after exposure to sunlight or LED lighting.
• A plant wall made of 56 succulents demonstrated effective low-intensity lighting sufficient to illuminate text and facial features at close range. The process costs $1.4 per plant (excluding labor) and takes only about 10 minutes per plant planning time.
• Researchers highlight potential applications of glowing plants as sustainable options for indoor and outdoor lighting systems.

indian opinion Analysis
The growth of glow-in-the-dark succulent plants introduces an innovative solution toward achieving sustainability in lower-intensity lighting systems-a pressing priority globally as energy demand grows alongside environmental concerns. For India,where energy efficiency initiatives are critical under the mission toward renewable sources like solar power through campaigns such as “National Solar Mission,” integrating technologies like bioluminescent plants could complement efforts in urban beautification and sustainable infrastructure design at an affordable scale.

However, practical implementation challenges should be considered, including scalability across diverse weather conditions that prevail across India’s regions and durability beyond short-term luminescence periods cited here (around two hours). While promising from both cost-efficiency and eco-pleasant perspectives, further research might potentially be required on viability specific adjustments catering towards mass adoptions w/ Quality shown emerging batches-time too Only Particles-neutralized ensure successful tracking-finalized onwards progression

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