阿凡達發光樹或成真 未來可代替路燈

Scientists are developing ways of making trees glow so they can be used as natural streetlights without the need for electricity. A team of researchers are experimenting with genes to allow the trait that causes fireflies to glow -bioluminescence - to be implanted into a variety of different organisms.

　　科學家正在研究一種物質可以可以使“植物發光”，將來這種物質未來會代替“路燈”讓樹木不用任何“電能”產生出自然光造福人類。研究團隊通過研究“促使螢火蟲發光的基因”而希望能對植物以及不同的有機生物體產生類似的效果。

As well as replacing traditional streetlights, bioluminescent plants would be useful for people who are not hooked up to the electricity grid. And if more lights were ever required, they could simply be grown.

如果研究能成功，這種“熒光樹”將會取代傳統路燈，而成爲依賴“電能”的人類的福音。未來如果人類需要更多光的話，那麼種多一點“熒光樹”就能達到目的了。

　　Geneticist Theo Sanderson, one of the members of the team, told New Scientist: ‘We didn't end up making bioluminescent trees, which was the inspiration for the project.‘But we decided to make a set of parts that would allow future researchers to use bioluminescence more effectively.’The team say that there is huge commercial potential in replacing the street with natural bioluminescent systems. The idea is also extremely environmentally friendly as no electricity would be required and the process which produces the photons of light is extremely energy-efficient.

遺傳學者Theo Sanderson告訴媒體：“我們在研究熒光樹的道路上也許會遇到阻礙，但是我們不會放棄。我們取得的一點點進展，都會讓生物體發光終變成現實。”研究者還說，這項研究項目將具有重大的潛在商業意義，如果試驗取得實質性進展，全球各大廠商將會樂意爲我們投資。主要還是因爲該項目十分環保、而且節約能源。

The scientists have also considered the possibility that the fuel to fire the chemical reaction in the trees could come from human waste or food waste.

與此同時，科學家還考慮將“人類廢棄物”變成新能源，運用在生物體發光的項目中，如此說來，電影《阿凡達》中五顏六色的“熒光樹”不再是虛擬的，未來有可能成爲現實呢！