Taking cues from the firefly, a Dutch electronics company has
created a product called “Bio-light”—an eco-friendly lighting
system that uses glowing, bioluminescent bacteria. They’re not
powered by electricity or sunlight, but by methane generated by
the company’s Microbial Home bio-digester that processes
anything from vegetable scraps to human waste. The living
bacteria are fed through silicon tubes, and as long as they’re
nutritionally-fulfilled, they can indefinitely generate a soft,
heat-free green glow using the enzyme luciferase and its
substrate, luciferin. They’re kept in hand-blown glass bulbs
clustered together into lamps, but you can’t light up your house
with them yet—the glow isn’t nearly bright enough to replace
conventional artificial lights. They do, however, get people to
think about untapped household energy sources and how to make
use of them. The company, Phillips, also envisions the use of
these Bio-lights outside the home—for nighttime road markings,
signs in theatres and clubs, and eve