November 22, 2024

Fireflies. Jellyfish. Fungi. Bacteria. All very different organisms that can share 1 common trait: Bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the ability for an organism to emit light. For decades it was just known to be a mesmerising phenomenon seen in nature with no apparent practical use. Films such as Avatar captured the sheer awe and beauty of a bioluminescent forest, whilst the whale scene in Life of Pi captured the same effect in a marine environment. Whilst the Avatar depiction is very much science fiction, bioluminescent plankton is a common phenomenon which can be seen in nature. Outside of nature, scientists have been isolating and using the bioluminescence gene as a powerful tool for studying transgenic organisms. More recently, this gene has also been used in bioluminescence-based imaging, neuron control and drug discovery. As technology and biological understanding advances, the grey area between science fiction and science fact is narrowing, and things which were once thought to only be possible through CGI are now becoming viable solutions to modern problems. A good example of this is using bioluminescent flora as a sustainable solution to urban lighting. Currently over 80% of the global population live in urban areas. With this comes rising energy demands which is both costly and not always sustainable. The sheer intensity of light in some urban areas is known to disrupt circadian rhythms of the natural wildlife and has been linked to increases in stress and fatigue of the people that live there. Coupled with a worldwide trend towards sustainable, green alternatives a market niche has appeared for inventive biotech companies that offer a novel alternative to traditional lighting. Bioluminescence occurs when a luciferase enzyme catalyses the oxidation of a light-emitting luciferin molecule which in turn produces a photon of light. This reaction is being harnessed in modern interior and urban design as an innovative lighting solution. Although the technology is still in its infancy, it appears to be a promising solution due to its host of advantages over more traditional lighting options. First, it is an inexhaustible resource as many of the organisms that can be used to emit light (e.g. Bacteria) can be cultivated indefinitely and with relative ease. The cost to “feed” the organisms would be comparatively lower than the cost of electricity and likely much greener. This can in theory significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions as it circumvents the need to fossil fuels. The cost and effort to maintain such organisms would also likely be less than the cost or creating and replacing traditional light bulbs. Of course, aside from the more practical benefits, there are also aesthetics benefits to using bioluminescent light sources. Bioluminescence offers a unique visual experience, characterised by its ethereal glow and other-worldy appearance. The light is often considered calming as it provides a different sensory experience. Biolumiescent light sources are also less bright than LED alternatives, which could allow for a reduction in light pollution in densely populated areas, potentially allowing the stars to return to the night sky. Whilst there are many upsides to this lighting method, there are still several distinct challenges which prevent it from being a viable solution. One primary concern is the longevity and stability of the light output. Unlike light bulbs and LEDs, bioluminescence is an active process that relies on living organisms. To produce light consistently, these organisms have to be exist in suitable conditions, which include temperature, pH, oxygen levels etc and maintaining these levels will be complex and resource intensive. Probably the largest limiting factor to this novel technology is that the light produced by these organisms is generally lower than traditional artificial lighting, which will limit its potential applications. Whilst bioluminescent lighting may not be appropriate to replace street lightning, there may be a niche to incorporate it into furniture, or within houses. There are numerous companies which have tried to exploit this niche, to various degrees of success. The most notable of all these companies is the French start-up Glowee. Founded by Sandra Rey in 2014, Glowee makes biological lighting systems using transgenic bacteria to produce light. Sandra was placed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2017 and her natural lighting solution was trialled in the French town of Rambbouillet in 2019. Plastic tubes that contain marine microorganisms called Alivibrio Fisherii were integrated into the city in a deal worth £83,000 in an attempt to turn the town into a full-scale bioluminescence laboratory. The tubes emitted an Azure glow when oxygen is supplied through a pump, and the light can be turned off by simply turning off the oxygen pump. Glowee are currently expanding their range of offerings to hopefully include self-contained bioluminescent street furniture. The company claims that their sustainable solution consumes less energy in manufacturing than traditional energy-saving LED lights and at the same time require less energy and maintenance than traditional solutions on the market. That being said, the main downside is that the tubes only produce about 20% of the lumens per square metre than a traditional household LED. The company is experimenting with ways to increase the brightness of their light emitting bacteria, but for now there are some limitations which appear to be preventing more wide-spread full-scale adoption. Another very promising company which provides bioluminescent lighting solutions, alongside a host of other novel biotech inventions is Bioo. Founded in 2015, Bioo “envision a greener future through a real symbiosis between nature and technology aligned with the next technological revolution”. Host to numerous entrepreneurial awards, Bioo have 4 main focus areas: Bioo Lumina, Bioo Panel, Bioo Switch and Bioo Projects. In keeping with the theme of this post, Bioo Lumina is the most relevant, but the other areas are equally as exciting and innovative. Maybe this company deserves its own blog? Bioo Lumina currently has marketable 2 offerings, with an extra in development. NATURAL is an available offering that uses naturally bioluminescent fungi, integrated into environments in such a way to provide nighttime lighting. They are currently using 58

As the famous English novelist Lewis Carroll once said, “imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality”. For decades this has been true of science fiction books, films and TV series. These stories have captivated our imagination and fuelled our inner child as we dream up scenarios that are seemingly impossible to place in reality. So many children around the world grow up wishing they could swing a lightsaber, were receiving a letter on their 11th birthday inviting them to Hogwarts, or could travel through time and space. I was no exception to this. Whilst these ideas still seem firmly routed in science fiction, it is amazing how many have foreshadowed reality with surprising accuracy. Think for example of a touchscreen devices, or video calling, first introduced to screens in the 1960s in The Jetsons. We rarely stop to think about how these everyday items were unimaginable concepts to people like you and me, even as little as 60 years ago. When thinking of sci-fi, our brain normally conjures up images of technology and electronics, which for the most part is how it is depicted in media. However, it is these same advancements in technology that have also enabled breakthroughs in biology and medicine, which is where my curiosity and excitement about the future lies today. At school I studied Maths, Physics and Biology for A-Level and I always thought I would do engineering at University. One day I remember deciding to attend a biology lecture outside of school hours because I thought it would look good on my personal statement which I needed to apply to University. Little did I realise that this lecture would capture my imagination and drive my curiosity to this day. The lecture was the reason I studied biology, and the reason I have stayed adjacent to the field in my professional career. The lecturer started by outlining the different “modern human eras” as they saw it in their mind. They described how advancements in science & technology drove societal progression, as better ways of doing thing were discovered. This all starts with what is commonly referred to as the first manufacturing age: the industrial age. Following this was the machine age with the invention of engines and the discovery and extraction of oil from the ground. The invention of the nuclear bomb resulted in the nuclear age which also coincided with the space age as mankind dreamed to live amongst the stars. A bit later, the invention of the internet led to the information age where people began to be more connected and started to move online. Many would argue we are still in the information age, which has moved to the internet age where information is very readily available and people are better informed and educated as a result. Although you often debate how true this is the more you read the news. The lecturer argued that we are starting to move towards another true manufacturing age, this one called the Biological age. This is no small statement as a new manufacturing ages change everything. They change the way people earn a living, and what jobs are available. They change the dominant nations in the world and can even reshape whole industrial sectors. Think about how the UK was more of a dominant worldwide force during the Industrial age, and how big tech based in the USA is currently dominating the global markets. The emergence of AI and supercomputers are also making it easier and cheaper to find novel drug targets, whilst CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing is allowing humans to essentially play God and re-structure genetic code. The very code of life. When you take a step back to realise what this means, you start to understand that there is really no limit to your imagination becoming a reality. In fact, often the limit is morals and ethics, not if the technology exists or not. This got me thinking about how these breakthroughs and new technologies could be harnessed to improve the world. Imagine walking home at night down a street lined with trees where all the leaves glowed in the dark, helping fix an energy crisis whilst also keeping you safer. Imagine a bush/ tree that rapidly grew into a 4-walled structure and could generate new rooms, providing a more affordable form of housing. Furthermore, imagine a plant with rapid regenerative properties that was constantly healing. This material could be used to pave roads, eliminating potholes and reducing maintenance efforts and costs. Whilst it is fun dreaming up these seemingly far-fecthed ideas, you would be surprised to learn how close they actually are to reality. I hope to shed light on some of the up-and-coming technologies and companies who are dreaming big and turning science fiction into reality. Hopefully the world will be a better place because of it.