Scientists Are Engineering Plants to Glow in the Dark. They Could Soon Light Our Cities.
By Darren Orf
Published on April 9, 2026.
Chinese startup Magic Pen Bio has developed at least 20 glowing plants in an effort to provide electricity-free illumination for cities around the world. Other companies, including MIT, are exploring plant-based methods to reduce urban energy usage. The company's founder and lead researcher, Li Renhan, aims to use this technology to transform nighttime lighting in cities. The process involved 532 rounds of technical iterations, including selecting optimal enzymes for the reaction, improving their efficiency, and introducing luminescent genes from other species. MIT has also been working on glowing plants for nearly a decade.
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