( CNN ) -- This bizarre-looking concoction of glass , liquid and tubes could one day bring a whole new meaning to the idea of natural lighting . The new `` bio-light '' concept designed by Dutch electronics company Philips creates light in the same way that bioluminescent living organisms like fireflies and glow worms do . The phenomenon of bioluminescence is created by a chemical reaction where an enzyme called luciferase interacts with a light-emitting molecule called luciferin . In the bio-light a collection of hand-blown jars -- held in place by a steel frame -- contain a measure of bioluminescent bacteria which glow green when fed methane gas -- in this case through individual silicon tubes routed through a household waste digester . Harnessing these biological techniques could help redefine how we consume energy in the home , says Philips . `` Designers have an obligation to explore solutions which are by nature less energy-consuming and non-polluting , '' says Clive van Heerden , senior director of design-led innovation at Philips Design . `` We need to push ourselves to rethink domestic appliances entirely , how homes consume energy and how entire communities can pool their resources , '' van Heerden said in a statement . Jim Haseloff , a plant biologist from the UK 's University of Cambridge says the bio-light is a very provocative idea . `` It 's appealing because it brings two things together which you would n't normally associate , '' Haseloff said . `` I do n't think you want to imagine that everyone 's going to start putting bacterial cultures into their own home for lighting but as a way of exploring the idea it 's quite interesting , '' he added . It part of a wider swing to sustainable technologies , Haseloff says , but he does n't see bioluminescent lights competing with LED and other low-energy lights in the future . `` When you move out of the normal ( lighting ) area -- illuminated walkways and things like that -- where things could essentially be growing and delivering light for free , that 's where you 're going to have applications . '' Philips envisages similar applications , perhaps using glowing plants to illuminate road verges or as warning strips on flights of stairs . It also says these same bioluminescence techniques could be used as a diagnostic indicator of pollution levels or even as a biosensor for monitoring diseases like diabetes . Philips says the bio-light would be more suited to providing mood lighting than `` functional illumination . '' It forms part of a wider Philips Design 's Microbial Home project which imagines an `` integrated cyclical ecosystem '' in the home where traditional waste is recycled to address sustainability issues .
Bio-light concept looks at new biological ways of creating light . Bioluminescent bacteria exposed to methane gas glow green . Dutch electronics company Philips exploring idea of domestic cyclical ecosystem .