A group of researchers from Russia managed to obtain through genetic engineering the tobacco plant that shines in the dark. Apparently, the new hybrid is perfectly safe to supply the raw material needed by cigarette manufacturers, and the demonstrated bioluminescence lasts throughout the life of the plant.
Science never sleeps
As a discovery, I like it a lot and the tobacco plants created by the Moscow start-up Plant and the Russian Academy of Sciences really shine in the dark and are visible to the naked eye. You don't need too much imagination to see endless fields of tobacco plants that glow phosphorescent green. Apparently, bioluminescence is a byproduct of the conversion of caffeic acid to luciferin. With this system, plants generate light that is visible to the human eye.
What is caffeic acid?
Caffeic acid is an organic compound that is classified as a hydroxycinnamic acid. This yellow solid consists of both phenolic and acrylic functional groups. It is found in all plants because it is a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of lignin, one of the principal components of woody plant biomass and its residues. -Source-
According to researchers, innovation can be used for research purposes:
"By allowing autonomous light emissions, dynamic processes in plants can be monitored, including development and pathogenesis, responses to environmental conditions, and the effects of chemical treatment."
They also added:
"By eliminating the need for exogenous addition of luciferin or other substrates, these luminescent capacities should be particularly useful for experiments with plants grown in soil."
I will love to have one of these plants in my home, looking at that phosphorescent green how it shines into the darkness. In my opinion, the combination of phosphorescent green with black is just amazing.
In the end, here is a short video of the glowing plants.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to upvote and leave a comment below.