LIGHT + TECH 105 105
LIGHT + TECH
IT'S A LIVING THING
Bioluminescent light sources offer environmental advantages because they don't require electrical power, minimise light pollution, and are self-replenishing under the right conditions. Jill Entwistle reports
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Bompass & Parr presented the world’s first glow-in-the-dark flower parlour in London
THERE ARE certain more arcane areas of lighting, particularly alternative future sources, that merit revisiting once in a while to see how things are going. One area used to be OLEDs, for instance, but after flirting with its potential as an ambient lighting source that's rather found its own niche in screen technology. Another is bioluminescence, especially as a potential source for urban lighting. It pops up on to the radar every now and then because someone has done something with it – perhaps attracted media attention with talk of glowing mushrooms, or persuaded a town council to have an experimental scheme (Rambouillet – more on that later) or held small exhibitions and events to show the possibilities and aspirations (Daan Roosegaarde's Glowing Nature programme, FX March/April 24). But then things go quiet again. The impression is that there is perennially some general investigation going on in this area but we haven't reached a point where it is a viable and realisable large-scale proposition. Which is a shame because it would have a lot of benefits: there are environmental advantages because, deriving from natural organisms, bioluminescent light
sources don't need electrical power, thereby reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. They would also minimise light pollution, as they create only a naturally soft and diffuse glow. The sources are also self-replenishing, under the right conditions, offering a continual cycle of illumination without depleting resources.
But these are living organisms, which
poses a number of challenges, not least ethical. They need to be kept in optimum conditions: luminescent algae, for example, need the right temperature, nutrient balance and oxygen levels. As well as being complicated, that can itself involve intensive use of resources. Another issue is that light output not only has to be consistent and long-lasting but bright enough for certain purposes. In other words, what is an advantage where light pollution is concerned could be a problem for particular applications.
It is therefore perhaps inevitable that a lot of aspiring ventures bite the dust. One of the more hopeful ones in recent years was French company Glowee, which worked with the small town of Rambouillet, around 50km south-west of Paris. Rambouillet city hall
signed a partnership with Glowee, investing £83,300 to turn the town into 'a full-scale bioluminescence laboratory'.
ERDF, a largely state-run company that manages France's electricity grid, was also among Glowee's backers, the European Commission provided £1.4m funding, and France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) also gave technical support. The first installation, a series of cylindrical tubes containing bioluminescent bacteria, soothed post-jab patients in a Covid-19 vaccination centre with their soft blue glow. The source in this case was a marine bacterium called Aliivibrio fischeri, housed in tubes of saltwater, creating a luminous aquarium. There were plans for further exterior installations and signage applications, some of which materialised. Sadly, Glowee was declared bankrupt in 2023. Inevitably, as the following items demonstrate, when the subject does occasionally rear its head it tends to be a kickstarter project, or part of a research study, or a novelty use designed to grab publicity. Whatever the reason, it is confirmation that people have by no means given up on the idea.
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