Photo: Illumination of a book (“Paradise Lost,” by John Milton) with the nanobionic light-emitting plants (two 3.5-week-old watercress plants). The book and the light-emitting watercress plants were placed in front of a reflective paper to increase the influence from the light emitting plants to the book pages. Image: Seon-Yeong Kwak

Photo: Illumination of a book (“Paradise Lost,” by John Milton) with the nanobionic light-emitting plants (two 3.5-week-old watercress plants). The book and the light-emitting watercress plants were placed in front of a reflective paper to increase the influence from the light emitting plants to the book pages. Image: Seon-Yeong Kwak

Photo: MIT engineers have devised a 3-D printing technique that uses a new kind of ink made from genetically programmed living cells. Courtesy of the researchers

Illustration Photo: Elizabeth has had an M-Power solar panel and lights fitted in her home by Off Grid Electric, a private sector company dedicated to providing sustainable, affordable energy to people in developing countries who aren't connected to the electricity grid. (credits: Russell Watkins / UK Department for International Development / Flickr Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0))

Illustration Photo: Elizabeth has had an M-Power solar panel and lights fitted in her home by Off Grid Electric, a private sector company dedicated to providing sustainable, affordable energy to people in developing countries who aren't connected to the electricity grid. (credits: Russell Watkins / UK Department for International Development / Flickr Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0))

Photo: Artist's impression of the sensor comprised of conductive ink printed across a stoma with two micropillars. (credit: MIT)

Photo: Artist's impression of the sensor comprised of conductive ink printed across a stoma with two micropillars. (credit: MIT)

Illustration Photo: Yeast (Credit: Zappys Technology Solutions / Flickr CC BY 2.0)

Illustration Photo: Yeast (Credit: Zappys Technology Solutions / Flickr CC BY 2.0)