Simulación en 3D de un panel bioluminiscente
The project aims to use the bioluminescence of living organisms to create more natural lighting systems and to avoid night-time light pollution, meeting the human need for more natural, renewable and sustainable lighting that is not dependent on electricity.
The BioLumCity project is funded by the Fritz and Trude Fortmann Foundation, and will last two years.
The research will first study the natural sources of bioluminescence, choosing from existing living things such as bioluminescent bacteria, which are sufficiently effective for unlit interiors.
However, given their relatively weak luminescence, and also given that current artificial urban lighting does not allow bioluminescence to be perceived, one aim of the project is to genetically modify microalgae to make them more efficient. Microalgae have another advantage, as they are photosynthetic organisms with significantly higher CO2 fixation efficiency than terrestrial trees, and can absorb several hundred times more CO2 in the same volume of space.
"We aim to design microalgae and ecosystems capable of producing bioluminescence systems for both CO2 removal and illumination," says Jae-Seong Yang, a CRAG researcher who co-leads the project with Alberto T. Estévez. from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) in Barcelona.
In addition to luminescence, microalgae have the added interest of their ability to fix CO2
Otro ejemplo de aplicación: simulación de luces bioluminiscentes para exteriores
One of the microalgae they plan to use is Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which is rich in proteins and carbohydrates, and also contains beneficial pigments such as chlorophyll and carotenoids. These characteristics significantly increase the economic value of the biomass of this microalgae, which could make its cultivation more economically interesting for potential producers when the development reaches the market.
The luminescent micro-organisms will be supported on panels of different scales. Also, 3D objects will be digitally designed such as lamps, furniture, showcases, shop windows, stained glass windows and façades. The idea is that they will be digitally manufactured, with a special design, transparent material and applying algorithms that ensure functional efficiency and aesthetic factor.
During the first year of the project, some 3D prototypes will be prepared with existing bioluminescent bacteria, integrated into architecture, panels, furniture and lamps. Scientists will investigate also how to achieve more efficiency in terms of lighting and durability, which are in fact the biggest handicaps. Therefore, in parallel, genetic research on bioluminescent microalgae will be developed.
In the second year of the project, work will be carried out on the application of this new source of bioluminescence and its integration in architecture, panels, furniture and lamps.
The project aims to meet at least 10 goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, including achieving more sustainable cities and communities, the fight against hunger (by promoting nutritionally interesting microalgae crops); clean and affordable energy (by creating lighting that is not dependent on electricity); and innovation and infrastructure development, among others.