No Electricity Needed: Meet Living Timber This experimental biohybrid material, developed at Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), transforms ordinary timber into a living light source. Led by a researcher Francis Schwarze The team achieved this by infusing low-density balsa wood with the ringless honey fungus, Desarmillaria tabescens . Empa +3 Key Breakthrough Details The Science of "Foxfire": The fungus produces luciferin , a molecule that emits a green glow when it reacts with oxygen. In nature, this rare phenomenon is often called "foxfire". Structural Integrity: While the fungus is a wood-degrader, it selectively breaks down lignin (the "glue" in wood) while leaving the cellulose (the "rebar") intact. This allows the wood to remain strong and durable even as it glows. Performance: Intensity: The glow is comparable to the light of a single candle. Durat...
