Backers are promised seeds for glowing plants, although delivery will not be until next May at the earliest.

BBC: Glowing tobacco plant

Philips envisages similar applications, perhaps using glowing plants to illuminate road verges or as warning strips on flights of stairs.

CNN: Glowing bacteria could power 'bio-light'

"Inspired by fireflies... our team of Stanford-trained PhDs are using off-the-shelf methods to create real glowing plants in a do-it-yourself bio lab in California, " said project leader Antony Evans.

BBC: Glowing tobacco plant