Scientists Just Invented Wood That Glows Forever 👽

 

• No Electricity Needed: Meet Living Timber
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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. 

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.
  • Duration: After a three-month incubation period, the wood can emit light for about 10 days.
  • Rechargeable: The luminosity can be reactivated by simply rehydrating the wood blocks.
• Sustainability: This "living timber" offers a zero-electricity lighting alternative that could eventually illuminate park benches, pathways, and building facades while sequestering carbon. 

The research, titled "Taming the Production of Bioluminescent Wood Using the White Rot Fungus Desarmillaria Tabescens," was published in the journal Advanced Science in late 2024.