阿凡达发光树或成真 未来可代替路灯

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。

科学家正在研究一种物质可以可以使“植物发光”，将来这种物质未来会代替“路灯”让树木不用任何“电能”产生出自然光造福人类。研究团队通过研究“促使萤火虫发光的基因”而希望能对植物以及不同的有机生物体产生类似的效果。

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，这种“荧光树”将会取代传统路灯，而成为依赖“电能”的人类的福音。未来如果人类需要更多光的话，那么种多一点“荧光树”就能达到目的了。

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。

遗传学者Theo Sanderson告诉媒体：“我们在研究荧光树的道路上也许会遇到阻碍，但是我们不会放弃。我们取得的一点点进展，都会让生物体发光终变成现实。”研究者还说，这项研究项目将具有重大的潜在商业意义，如果试验取得实质性进展，全球各大厂商将会乐意为我们投资。主要还是因为该项目十分环保、而且节约能源。

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。

与此同时，科学家还考虑将“人类废弃物”变成新能源，运用在生物体发光的项目中，如此说来，电影《阿凡达》中五颜六色的“荧光树”不再是虚拟的，未来有可能成为现实呢！

Vocabulary：

bioluminescence n. 生物体之发光

organisms n. 生物体(organism的复数)；有机体

trait n. 特性，特点；品质；少许 （实习编辑：顾萍）