New kind of wood glows in the dark thanks to the magic of honey mushrooms

Researchers have created a new kind of biohybrid wood that glows in the dark. Its green light comes from the addition of the the fungus D. tabescens. Also known as the ringless honey mushroom, the fungus fuels "foxfire," the bioluminescence in decaying wood.

From Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology:

"Naturally luminous wood was first described around 2,400 years ago by the Greek philosopher Aristotle," says [biotechnologist Francis] Schwarze. Strictly speaking, the interwoven structure of fungus and wood can be described as a natural biohybrid, a combination of living materials. "Artificially produced composite materials of this kind would be interesting for many types of application," says the Empa researcher. But what nature seems to achieve effortlessly has so far been (too) challenging for biotechnology. Now, for the first time, the Empa team has succeeded in inducing and controlling the process in the laboratory.

Eventually, the biohybrid could be used to create building materials that double as sustainable light sources.

Previously:
• Scientists make transparent wood
• First 'artisanal' satellite made from wood launched into space