When Fluorescent Proteins Meet White Light-Emitting Diodes

Over the last decades, fluorescent proteins (FPs) have been extensively employed for imaging and tracing in cell biology and medicine. However, their application for lighting devices like light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers has recently started. The interest of FPs is the result of their good photoluminescence features (high emission efficiency with a narrow spectrum and a high photon-flux saturation), good photostability, sustainable production by bacteria, and eco-friendly recycling. Their low stability at high temperatures as well as the need for an aqueous environment have, however, strongly limited their use in optoelectronics. This has recently been circumvented with new coating systems that are paving the way for the entrance of FPs into the LED field. In this Minireview, we summarize the first steps taken by a few groups towards the development of bio-hybrid white LEDs (Bio-HWLEDs) with a focus on using FPs as color down-converters, highlighting the state of the art and challenges associated with this emerging field.