Pollution-free lights, powered by microbes

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Sandra Rey |

TED@BCG Paris

• May 2016

Designer Sandra Rey has found a way to channel one of nature's superpowers: bioluminescence. By isolating the DNA that causes some squids to glow, and introducing it into bacteria, she's created a light source that can glow for three days -- without generating the usual pollution caused by lightbulbs. Her idea is still in development, but Rey makes a spirited case that this is a bold first step toward changing the way we light our world.