Radiant cocoons and silk yarns showcased at Hikari Exhibition
Kotaro Yamada
Hundreds of radiant cocoons and shining silken stoles and lamp shades. You’ll see them all in Ueno, Tokyo, at the National Museum of Nature and Science, in the darkness at its special exhibition “Hikari–The Wonder of Light”. The shining products are presented by the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) based in Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki Prefecture.
The cocoons and silk yarns were produced by silkworms that NIAS genetically engineered. It successfully inserted a certain fluorescence protein gene extracted from a coral and a jelly fish in silkworms to give them the ability to spin silk yarns that can emit light.
The glowing cocoons emit red, orange or green light when hit with blue light of short wavelength. These colors can be seen through the filters that block blue light. Another highlight at the exhibition is glowing Torenia that emits vibrant yellow-green light. There is also an area for visitors to learn about the process of photosynthesis. The exhibition is open until February 22, 2015.
(Feb. 7, 2015)