Biomaterials, the new frontier of living materials: their applications in lighting design

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MushLume Lighting

This is the fourth in the new series of Living Materials, devoted to the materials of the future and curated by Daniela Amandolese, researcher and lecturer at the German University in Cairo. The potential of symbiotic design between human beings and living organisms

“Solutions exist in nature. Now that we have the tools to copy them, we can build far more sustainable processes and products." Glowee, Sandra Rey

Bioluminescence is a natural phenomenon exploited by some organisms, such as algae and bacteria, to generate light. Every organism has its own peculiarities and specific chemical process that leads to the production of light. In bioluminescent bacteria, an enzyme called luciferase catalyses the oxidisation of a molecule called luciferin, generating visible light. This biological process, which occurs in natural conditions in the oceans, has been taken up by a number of companies for applications in the lighting sector.

This article is dedicated to the fascinating connection between living materials and light.

"Living materials don’t just respond to their environment, but have the potential to evolve with it", according to Neri Oxman

Living materials such as mycelium, algae and bioluminescent bacteria, invite us to rethink our relationship with nature, no longer as a resource to be exploited, but as a source of inspiration and a partner for co-creation. These materials are able to grow, adapt and interact with the surrounding environment, opening up new possibilities for developing projects that respect ecological balances.

These developments are transforming the way in which we conceive lighting, no longer as a static system, but as a dynamic process that interacts with nature. Thanks to these living materials we can imagine a future in which light not only responds to environmental stimuli, but becomes part of a broader ecological cycle, design in symbiosis with the surrounding environment.

salonemilano, jan klingler — Jan Klingler - Ph. Sandy Haggart

A number of designers are exploring the way in which living materials can be integrated into the lighting world. As well as harnessing bioluminescence, they are developing lighting solutions that don’t just respond to environmental stimuli, but actively interact with them.

Some projects, like those of Jan Klingler, use light to display the magic of bacteria, harnessing their ability to produce colours and luminosity through biological growth. Other designers, such as Élise Fouin and Danielle Trofe co-design with living organisms such as silkworms and mycelium, playing on their ability to grow and adapt to specific shapes. Mycelium, the root network of fungi, is a material that grows naturally and can be grown in different shapes and structures, adapting to a number of different uses. Its ability to be shaped, its strength and its lightness make it ideal for lighting technology applications, where it can be used to create lamps, lampshades and other lighting structures. Furthermore, its growth process, which takes place relatively quickly, also makes it possible to reduce the energy consumed during production compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Isabel Brouwers

Isabel Brouwers has created the LUMNES lamp collection, inspired by the photoluminescent algae Pyrocystis fusiformis, which emits light in the presence of oxygen. This blown glass collection features a unique design for each piece. They incorporate an oxygen sensor that adjusts the light intensity according to the concentration of oxygen in the surrounding environment. The double-layer structure, with a transparent outer layer and an opaque inner layer, allows oxygen to enter through small channels, activating the internal luminescence. LUMNES lamps offer a dynamic viewing experience, with brightness that varies according to the oxygen levels in the air.

Nébulis

The Nébulis Collection was created by the designer Élise Fouin in collaboration with Forestier and Sericyne. This lamp collection uses the non-woven silk naturally produced by Bombyx mori silkworms to create shapes evocative of lenticular clouds with harmonious curves. The non-woven silk developed by Sericyne is obtained via a process in which silkworms weave directly onto three-dimensional moulds, engendering light, sturdy structures without the need for traditional weaving. This innovative material serves to diffuse a soft light, creating a delicate and refined atmosphere. The collection comprises several different types of lamps, including pendant lamps, ceiling lamps and wall lamps, available in a variety of sizes to suit different environments and needs.

Teresa Van Dongen

Teresa van Dongen is a Dutch designer, known for integrating natural processes into her design approach, creating luminous installations that exploit biological sources of energy.

The Ambio lamp uses the bioluminescence of bacteria to generate light. This installation uses bioluminescent bacteria collected from the skin of an octopus, immersed in a saline liquid. When the bacteria are oxygenated, they emit a blue-green light, creating an atmospheric ambiance. The design includes a glass tube containing the liquid and bacteria, balanced by two weights that, when oscillating, maintain the oxygenation necessary for bioluminescence. This project explores the use of nature as a source of energy, offering an eco-friendly and fascinating lighting solution.

Electric Life is an installation that uses electrogenic bacteria to generate electricity. These bacteria, known as “geobacteria,” live in the mud in rivers and lakes, emitting electrons as waste products.

Van Dongen has designed a system that hosts an ecosystem of these bacteria, which produce enough electricity to power three lights, by means of a specially designed electrode. This project marks a step towards the adoption of renewable and sustainable energy sources, demonstrating the potential of biological processes in generating energy.

salonemilano, teresa van dongen — Teresa Van Dongen, Electric Life

Ermi van Oers

Living Light is a lamp developed by Nova Innova, a bio-design studio founded by Ermi van Oers, in collaboration with Plant-e, a company specialising in technologies that generate electricity from plants. The light unit generates light by exploiting the energy produced by a living plant through Plant Microbial Fuel Cell technology. This technology converts energy from the plant's photosynthetic process into electricity, allowing the lamp to light up when the plant is gently touched. The system is based on a symbiotic ecosystem: microorganisms in the plant's soil break down the organic matter released by the roots. This process produces electrons that are collected by an electrode and transformed into electrical energy, thus powering the light from the lamp. The result is lighting that does not require external energy, but feeds on the vitality of the plant itself, establishing a dialogue between technology and nature.

Glowee

Glowee, a Paris-based start-up, is developing bioluminescent lights, harnessing the bioluminescence of bacteria to create lighting systems for shop windows and road signs, for instance. This technology is based on marine bacteria such as Vibrio fischeri, known for their ability to emit light through a natural process that does not require electricity.

"Our goal is to change the way we produce and use light. We want to offer a global solution that will reduce the 19 per cent of electricity consumption used to produce light,” said Glowee founder Sandra Rey.

Thanks to a material of biological and biodegradable origin, composed of cultured marine bacteria, the consumption of limited resources and pollution caused by their extraction, processing and export is lowered.

Bioluminescent bacteria are grown in a nutrient gel contained in transparent devices, such as panels or lamps. This controlled environment provides the optimal conditions for their survival and light activity. The light produced is soft, blue-green in colour, and does not require any connection to the mains. The duration of bioluminescence depends on the viability of the bacteria and the availability of nutrients.

MushLume

Danielle Trofe is the founder of MushLume Lighting, a company based in the United States, specialising in the production of lampshades obtained from mycelium and hemp. The company uses a biofabrication process that combines mycelium and hemp fibre to create lamps. The process begins by integrating hemp and mycelium, in which the mycelium grows and develops in a symbiotic way with the plant substrate. The mycelium spreads rapidly and forms a solid network that gives the final material mechanical strength and stability. Thanks to its natural properties, the mycelium acts as a biological binder that consolidates the structure and makes it durable. The result is a completely biodegradable material, which stands out for its lightness, strength and thermal properties. This growth process takes place relatively quickly, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to traditional production methods. “We use low-heat LED bulbs, which pair perfectly with the fire-resistant properties of mycelium. And yes, we grow everything here in the studio, hand-packing the hemp substrate into moulds. It’s incredible to think that within 7-10 days, we have a fully grown, solid structure that becomes the base of our lamps,” explained Danielle Trofe.

Jan Klingler

The Swedish designer Jan Klingler has created lamps in colours inspired by the growth patterns of bacteria, yeasts and fungi. In collaboration with the microbiologist Volkan Özenç, MD PhD, and thanks to a lengthy period of exploration and prototyping, Klinger has built up the requisite knowledge to be able to guarantee a huge range of colours and the best possible growth patterns.

To create the designs, Klingler lets the bacteria, fungi and yeast grow on a disc of resin for between 24 and 48 hours, and fed with agar, a gel derived from algae. The nutritional base is fluid at the beginning of the process, but begins to solidify once Klingler adds the bacteria to grow.

The colours are produced by the bacteria themselves, such as serratia, a bacterium found in the human mouth that gives it a reddish-orange colour. Once the desired effect is achieved, the discs are sealed to deprive the cultures of oxygen and halt their growth. The resin plates are then connected to an LED module. Light passes through the translucent cultures.

The lamps come in four different variants, all inspired by laboratory equipment and made from hand-blown glass in Sweden. One is inspired by a petri dish, one by a Kolle bubble (which resembles a flattened light bulb) and one by a Fernbach bubble, available in two sizes.

According to Klingler, the project challenges the user to see a new connection between the object and themselves, creating a visible bond through the bacteria, highlighting what we had believed should remain hidden, and showcasing it.

“Every living being and place has its own unique and personal microbiological fingerprint. In a crossover between science, art, and industrial design, the Bacteria Lamp uses this fact to create stand out conversational pieces.” Jan Klingler