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• Researchers 3D Print Glowing Shapes Using Bioluminescent Algae Embedded in Hydrogel May 7
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Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used a bioluminescent single-celled algae called Pyrocystis lunula to 3D-print light-emitting structures that glow a strong cyan shade of blue, according to a paper published in Science Advances.
Researcher Giulia Brachi discovered that adding a slightly acidic solution to the algae triggered sustained light production. She’d originally tried replicating the mechanical stress of ocean waves to stimulate the organisms, but the algae weren’t responding. The acidic approach worked far better, inducing glowing for up to 25 minutes at a time. Brachi encapsulated the algae in a hydrogel — a water-based jelly-like substance — and used it to print several shapes, including a crescent moon, chosen as a nod to the organism’s appearance under a m