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Taming the Production of Bioluminescent Wood Using the White Rot Fungus Desarmillaria Tabescens

Summary

Scientists have developed a way to make wood glow in the dark using a special fungus called Desarmillaria tabescens. By carefully controlling moisture levels and giving the fungus time to break down wood components, they created a glowing material that could one day replace electric lights. This bioluminescent wood is completely natural and requires no electricity, offering a sustainable lighting solution for homes and cities.

Background

Bioluminescent wood, known as foxfire, is a natural phenomenon caused by white rot fungi in decaying wood. This study explores the development of a hybrid living material by combining the fungus Desarmillaria tabescens with balsa wood to achieve controlled bioluminescence production for potential sustainable lighting applications.

Objective

To develop a methodology for producing bioluminescent wood by manipulating wood colonization through the white rot fungus D. tabescens and to identify key parameters affecting bioluminescence production, including moisture content, incubation time, and lignin degradation.

Results

Maximum bioluminescence was achieved after 3 months of incubation with wood moisture content of 700-1200%. D. tabescens preferentially degraded hemicelluloses and lignin while preserving cellulose crystalline structure. Bioluminescence increased with moisture exposure to air, and lignified materials produced significantly stronger light than non-lignified PETG controls.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates successful production of bioluminescent wood through controlled fungal colonization and identifies moisture content and lignin degradation as critical factors. These findings enable design of synthetic materials using fungi to maximize bioluminescence for sustainable, electricity-free lighting applications with minimal environmental impact.
  • Published in:Advanced Science,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.1002/advs.202403215, PMID: 39263934
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