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2016

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2019

2025

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Triennial Project Record, Nanobionic Plant Project: Ambient Illumination

This is a Triennial project record. It was designed by Michael Strano and Sheila Kennedy. It is dated 2016-ongoing. Its medium is installation and images. It is a part of the department.

To make a living plant emit sustained visible light, the Strano Lab at MIT infuses it with chemically interacting nanoparticles including luciferin, luciferase (an enzyme that modifies luciferin so it will glow), and coenzyme A (which enhances the activity of luciferase). The metabolism of the plant then powers the light emission, which can be experienced in this model by looking through the peepholes.

It is credited Courtesy of MIT Professor S. Kennedy and Professor M. Strano Research Groups with KVA.

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/2318798844/ |title=Triennial Project Record, Nanobionic Plant Project: Ambient Illumination |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=6 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>