Poll: Would you buy glowing plants?

[uchytjes]

lets see.. Its a dark scary forest or a mystical forest of glowing trees...

The answer here is obvious: CUT THEM ALL DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR MAN! >

 

[blazearmoru]

CorvusFerreum : They's bioluminescent. I'll update my first post. Thanks for bringing it up!

uchytjes : I want a mystical glowing forest Q-Q with dragons and unicorns...

Heronblade : I have a plant at home that only needs watering like once a week... It's been alive for years. ^^; I'm no plant expert so I just jumped to the conclusion that it's easy... You're right though. I totally should look into the plant.

 

[scorptatious]

Only if they charged my batteries when I eat them.

Cookie for the reference.

 

[bliebblob]

HNNNNG I'm conflicted.

On one hand: AWESOME
On the other I'm, worried about horizontal gene transfers to wild plants. I suppose there are worse traits to end up in the wild, but still...

If you're just going to keep it potted in your apartment how much of a danger is this.

Well one of the ways horizontal gene transfer can happen is via a virus. So once commercial bioluminescent plants would be common it'd be a matter of when and not if.

EDIT: bioluminescent, not fluorescent.

 

[Comocat]

Its a neat project although I'm almost certain its been done before. I mean we've made these:

Spoiler: Made years ago

So glowing plants have also probably been made, just maybe not on the scale these guys are talking about.

I'm a little skeptical of the project though. I'd need to see some credentials before I would give these guys any money. Also not sure what they need 250k for. This seems like a project you could easily do for under 100k, maybe around 50k IMO (that's for just the science).

The rats are breed with GFP, green fluorescent protein, which is photoluminescent, but not chemiluminescent. The difference is you need to put the rats under a light source in order to see them glow green while luciferase produces light via its chemical decomposition. For example, you can see fireflies at night because they chemically produce light. The green in your linked photo is produced by irradiating the rats with a specific wavelength of light (~490 nm). The novelty of this kickstarter is not putting the gene into the plant, but building a system where the plant can make and recycle its fluorophore continually and independently.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

I'll be impressed when they get them to flash different colours so we can have a proper rave.

But seriously though, this is awesome. I want one. No UK shipping though, arse :/

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Marie Curie and her husband were at the core of the glowing everything hype.

Turns out the fancy glow-in-the-dark wasn't too cool with having healthy people around.

However, I am absolutely certain that this kickstarter will turn out to be quite entertaining nonetheless.

From a "let's sit back and watch the disaster unfold" perspective or a "let's see what people do with these lights" perspective?

Oh, absolutely. There is so much abuse potential we'd basically have to come up with new threat criteria. This could just be visually pleasing novelties in video, or it could be lethal hilarity that ensues when mixed with rampant ignorance and stupidity of Generation Friendface.

 

[Bato]

YES.
Actually I plan to cultivate some bioluminescent mushrooms when I get the funds for the hobby.

 

[NightHawk21]

Its a neat project although I'm almost certain its been done before. I mean we've made these:

Spoiler: Made years ago

So glowing plants have also probably been made, just maybe not on the scale these guys are talking about.

I'm a little skeptical of the project though. I'd need to see some credentials before I would give these guys any money. Also not sure what they need 250k for. This seems like a project you could easily do for under 100k, maybe around 50k IMO (that's for just the science).

The rats are breed with GFP, green fluorescent protein, which is photoluminescent, but not chemiluminescent. The difference is you need to put the rats under a light source in order to see them glow green while luciferase produces light via its chemical decomposition. For example, you can see fireflies at night because they chemically produce light. The green in your linked photo is produced by irradiating the rats with a specific wavelength of light (~490 nm). The novelty of this kickstarter is not putting the gene into the plant, but building a system where the plant can make and recycle its fluorophore continually and independently.

Ya realized that after posting. For some reason my sleep deprived brain equated the two. Still shouldn't be too hard though. They would just need to identify the luciferase pathway, and with any luck there won't be a lot of intermediates that the separate its substrates from something the plant already produces.

 

[blazearmoru]

YES.
Actually I plan to cultivate some bioluminescent mushrooms when I get the funds for the hobby.

@Bato : I almost went and bought some yesterday cus I have this wooden stomp thing, I don't know what to call it. It's just sitting out. Then I realized it probably needs to be contained so the pores don't infect everything else and/or the environment needs to be warm and moist... Kinda difficult. Maybe if I find a way and do some research on glowing shrooms.

 

[Angie7F]

I wouldnt back them, nor will I buy one. but it sound so cool. lol
I guess that is where a good idea or funny idea is different from a business.

 

[HarlequinGrey]

I'd love a plant that glows softly.

However like Chefsbrain, I originally saw 'Glow in the dark pants,' and had a great image of glowing spandex pants.

Perhaps the plants could be used to make pants?

 

[blazearmoru]

I'd love a plant that glows softly.

However like Chefsbrain, I originally saw 'Glow in the dark pants,' and had a great image of glowing spandex pants.

Perhaps the plants could be used to make pants?

:O great idea! Someone totally needs to try that!!!

Edit : I think... they stop growing when dead so cotton won't work too well. =x I'ma go look up some infos later when i get a chance.

 

[Dags90]

Ya realized that after posting. For some reason my sleep deprived brain equated the two. Still shouldn't be too hard though. They would just need to identify the luciferase pathway, and with any luck there won't be a lot of intermediates that the separate its substrates from something the plant already produces.

The substrates required for luciferase are ATP and O[sub]2[/sub], not exactly hard to come by in plants.

IDK how the planned goal of sending people media plates is going to work. Most people don't exactly have sterile hoods in their house and bacteria and fungi love media.

 

[NightHawk21]

Ya realized that after posting. For some reason my sleep deprived brain equated the two. Still shouldn't be too hard though. They would just need to identify the luciferase pathway, and with any luck there won't be a lot of intermediates that the separate its substrates from something the plant already produces.

The substrates required for luciferase are ATP and O[sub]2[/sub], not exactly hard to come by in plants.

IDK how the planned goal of sending people media plates is going to work. Most people don't exactly have sterile hoods in their house and bacteria and fungi love media.

Wikipedia reports the mechanism as:

- luciferin + ATP → luciferyl adenylate + PPi

- luciferyl adenylate + O2 → oxyluciferin + AMP + light

Which means the plant needs to make luciferin before the enzyme can initiate the reaction. You're going to need to introduce every gene from the fireflies that encodes any substrate that is intermediate between luciferin and something the plant has in the luciferin synthesis pathway.

As for the media. You could maybe send the media like vaccumm sealed although I'm not sure that would work. I would personally send the media in solid form, and tell people how to mix it. Include a bottle that you can then put in your oven for a few hours at 120+ degrees celsius as sort of a poor man's autoclave. To poor you really only need a flame if you're careful.

 

[blazearmoru]

Does anyone know how to make a terrarium? I'm planning to get the DIY kit and I want a glowing terrarium lol... or is it possible with the Arabidopsis plant?

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

That's pretty cool, but I don't think it would survive that long with me. I just can't be arsed to take care of plants.