A beautifully lit Christmas tree is one of the joys of the holiday season. But burned out bulbs and tangled wires can take the fun out of tree trimming. Graduate students at the University of Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom may have found a way around this problem ? they’ve designed a genetically engineered Douglas spruce that grows its own “lights.” Says Katy Presland, one of the researchers, “We’re talking about a green luminescent Christmas tree that glows in the dark and produces a noticeable light during the day.” [1]

The tree requires two genes in order to produce light: one for the enzyme luciferase, which is found in fireflies, and one for a substance called green fluorescent protein, found in jellyfish. Both genes are placed in harmless bacteria, and these in turn are introduced into the tree seedlings. Light production also involves a compound called luciferin, which can be mixed into a special fertilizer provided with the tree.

Luciferase is the catalyst in a chemical reaction involving luciferin and oxygen. As with all enzymes, the luciferase speeds up the reaction without itself being changed. In the reaction, luciferin is oxidized-that is, it loses an electron ? and the molecules shift to a higher energy state. As the excited molecules return to their lower, more stable ground state, they release energy in the form of light. The light produced in this reaction in turn activates the GFP molecules, causing them to emit a green light that gives the tree its glow. [2] Scientists have also identified red and blue fluorescent proteins, raising the possibility of a tree with multicolored lights.

So far, the tree exists only on paper, but the technology has been proven to work; researchers have already used GPF to produce luminescent mice, potatoes, and silk. According to Presland, cost is the main obstacle to producing glowing trees. At least initially, a tree would run about $350 U.S. dollars ? more than most people would likely want to spend. But who knows… if the idea catches on, the lyric “you could even say it glows” will refer to more than Rudolph’s nose.

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