As part of its Microbial Home Project, Dutch electronics company Philips designed a Bio-light concept that uses bioluminescent bacteria to produce light.
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Light source or art piece?
The system uses bioluminescent bacteria that feed on methane and composted material to produce a soft green light. The bacteria is housed in a wall of hand-blown glass cells and connected to a food source at the base through thin silicon tubes.
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Bio-digester
The bacteria's food source would come in the form of methane gas converted from bathroom waste solids and vegetable trimmings using Philips' bio-digester kitchen island.
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Ambient light
The light produced by the bacteria isn't particularly bright, so it would be used more as an ambient light source or as a way to power nighttime road markings, signs in low-light environments, and so forth.
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Microbial Home
Philips has designed an entire Microbial Home that includes not only the Bio-light and bio-digester, but an urban beehive and system for breaking down plastic waste.