Ambio lamp glows with bioluminescent bacteria instead of electricity

The lamp is meant to sway slowly back and forth, emulating the motion of the sea, and exposing the bacteria within to the oxygen needed to help it glow.

A Dutch designer has created a lamp that needs no electricity: it consists of a glass tube filled with bioluminescent bacteria taken from octopuses and suspended in a saltwater solution. All it needs in order to light up is a gentle tap every so often to keep it swaying. It’s not uncommon for designers to be inspired by the beauty of nature. Teresa van Dongen developed her glowing lamp as her graduation project at Design Academy Eindhoven.