Lighting uses 20% of electricity output. Lighting-related CO<sub>2</sub> emission/year is expected to be 3 Gt by 2030 and 1.6 billion people live without access to electric light at present. As independent energy sources, engineering plants are compelling platforms for light emission and sustainable illumination with negative carbon footprints. In this study, we created a wild-type living light emitting plant with a nanobionic approach that enables remarkable luminosity and lifetime, tissue-specific patterning, ‘on/off’ control and nIR communication. Three chemically-interacting nanoparticles are designed such as firefly luciferase immobilized silica, D-luciferin releasing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), and coenzyme A loaded chitosan. An in vitro kinetic model based on nanoparticle system has developed to extend the chemiluminescent lifetime. A new technique of pressurized bath infusion allows whole plant delivery of nanoparticles in a minute. Our strategy of nanoparticle transport controls localization of nanoparticle depending on its size and charge within distinct tissues compartments. The results are a mature watercress plant that emits greater than 1.44x10<sup>12</sup> photons/sec or 50% of 1 µW commercial luminescent diodes. We also show that CdSe nanocrystals can shift the chemiluminescent emission to nIR through resonant energy transfer. These results advance the viability of nanobionic plants for potential applications as self-powered photonics, direct and indirect light sources.

Nanobionic light-emitting plant

256th National Meeting (2018)

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