The Glowing Plant Project

How cool would it be to grow your own living lights? If you choose to back a campaign on the funding site, Kickstarter, you could. Kickstarter is an internet platform and resource site for raising funds for a variety of individual creative projects.  Building on work that led to lamps made from genetically engineered bioluminescent bacteria, the workers behind the Glowing Plant Project have added bioluminescent genes to the genome of thale cress. This project could eventually lead to a sustainable alternative to electric lighting indoors and out, though at this point the plants only give off a dim illumination. I can only imagine strolling through a city park on a seemingly magical night down a path meandering along under the soft glow of the trees. And it seems that this is a dream that could be realized in my lifetime. In the meantime though you can have the seeds for glowing plants sent to you for a mere pledge of $40.