Self-lighting Christmas trees with synthetic DNA

 CRISPR gene editing could be used to develop self-lighting Christmas trees, according to University of Warwick scientists.

Engineers and biologists the university’s Interactive Synthetic Biology Centre used virtual reality to demonstrate the theory, which involves synthesising a DNA sequence by making a copy of the gene in fireflies that causes them to glow.

Using CRISPR, scientists can cut the tree’s DNA where they want and insert it into the tree’s DNA, which the cell then welds together. Christmas tree breeds would then be able to use the new genes, giving them the bioluminescence of a firefly, and thereby replacing electrical lights.

Trees would harness their natural body clock so that the lights turn on when it gets dark. The technique could be applied to other plants such as trees lining the streets, eliminating the need for electronic street lamps.

Dr Alexander Darlington of the Department of Engineering: “Synthetic biology has the potential to revolutionise our lives and the pace of technological improvement is astonishing. Whether we do one day produce sustainable self-lighting Christmas trees remains to be seen but working on a project like this allows us to critically think about the impact of our work on society.

“This VR allows us to think about problems differently; working with designers and artists as we developed the experience caused me to reflect on my own work and its place in wider society.”

Dr Darlington told Laboratory News that the VR experience is currently only available through Warwick Integrated Synthetic Biology Centre but may be rolled out to other virtual reality set-ups to make it more publicly accessible.