Optimizing Photosynthesis with Mimotype. Interview with Founder Danilo Flores.

In February, we already reported on the technological breakthrough achieved by the transnational research consortium consisting of the HU startup Mimotype Technologies GmbH, the UCL Photonics Innovation Lab, and Modern Synthesis: Mimotype’s protein mScarlet3, Modern Synthesis’s stabilizing biogenic carrier matrix, and the microstructured surfaces from the UCL Photonics Innovation Lab combine to create a biogenic photoconversion film. This film converts sunlight directly into a form usable by plants, thereby boosting photosynthesis. We took the opportunity to ask Danilo Flores, one of the founders of Mimotype, questions about his company, the innovation, and the collaboration with international partners. In this interview, you will discover the advantages of this new invention compared to other photoactive materials, how exactly it works, and how agriculture can benefit from it.

Mimotype develops a new class of materials at the intersection of biology and photonics. At the core are so-called optically active proteins that can convert light in a targeted manner.

You can think of these proteins as biological nanomachines—like a ready-made system provided by nature that alters the properties of incoming light within the smallest possible space. The protein performs the useful optical work on its own, without needing to be ground or polished like a man-made lens. If you imagine a flow of light as a blowing wind, our protein is the sail that we hoist in such a way that our boat sails in the desired direction.

Our vision is a world where materials are not only high-performing but also completely biological and sustainable. Unfortunately, many photoactive substances used in our devices today, such as in our smartphone displays, are nothing short of toxic hazardous waste. There are studies on the accumulation of optical materials from OLED smartphone displays in Norwegian fjords or the South China Sea. These substances end up in the food chain and, ultimately, in our bodies.

Other high-performance optical materials, like quantum dots, are highly dangerous even during manufacturing—if one of the airtight chambers where these heavy-metal-based materials are produced leaks, it can cost human lives, which has indeed happened in the past, as we know from industry circles.

The decisive difference is that our solution is completely biogenic. Conventional photoconversion films are often based on rare earth elements, quantum dots, or synthetic dyes. We replace the synthetic components of these films with biological ones.

Our film combines three core elements: first, a high-performance fluorescent protein (mScarlet3); second, a biological carrier material made of bacterial nanocellulose; and third, a microstructured surface to facilitate light extraction as the light exits the film. The result is a nature-compatible, high-performance material system that can be produced scalably and, at the end of its lifespan, can simply be disposed of on a compost heap.

Biogenic Photoconversion Film (c) Mimotype

Plants only use certain parts of the light spectrum efficiently for photosynthesis—mainly red and blue light. A large portion of the energy content in sunlight remains unused. Our film “captures” these unused wavelengths and converts them into precisely the wavelengths that plants can utilize exceptionally well. This happens passively, meaning without any additional energy input.

To return to the sail analogy: our protein, mScarlet3, converts an unusable wavelength into a usable wavelength. This is comparable to a sail that harnesses the kinetic energy of the wind to move a vehicle forward. In the exact same way, mScarlet3 channels existing solar light energy and directs it into a narrowed target spectrum. The protein converts light into light—meaning one wavelength into another wavelength—a process known as interconversion.

There is no transduction involved, meaning no conversion of light into another form of energy like electricity. That is a process which actually has a rather modest efficiency rate—a fact that the solar panel industry likes to conveniently gloss over.

The protein mScarlet3 plays a central role here: it absorbs yellow light and emits it as deep red light—precisely in the spectral range that plants use most efficiently because their photoantennae are built for it. The biological matrix made of nanocellulose stabilizes the protein like a scaffold, ensuring that this process works reliably even under real-world conditions.

You actually have to distinguish between two things here: classic agricultural films—such as those used for asparagus or tunnel crops—and modern photoconversion films. Classic films are purely functional: they are usually made of polyethylene, protect plants from the weather, and create a microclimate. However, they do not actively intervene in the growth process—they simply let light pass through without altering its composition to optimize it.

Then, there is a new generation of high-tech films. These materials can actually alter the light spectrum: for instance, they use so-called quantum dots—inorganic nanoparticles—to convert UV and blue light into red light, which plants can use more efficiently.

This is a major step forward because the film actively contributes to productivity. At the same time, however, these solutions remain classic plastic systems at their core—featuring complex, partly inorganic materials that are neither biodegradable nor truly circular.

This is exactly where our technology comes in. We go a step further and completely replace these inorganic nanomaterials with biological building blocks. Instead of quantum dots, we use optically active proteins that achieve the same effect—meaning they convert light in a targeted manner—but based on biological functionality.

For greenhouse operators, there are several distinct benefits. For one, the optimized light utilization significantly increases biomass production—studies show yield gains of up to 30%. On top of that, there are zero additional operating costs because the technology functions without any external power source. Compared to supplemental LED lighting, this completely eliminates both high initial investment costs and ongoing energy expenses.

In practice, this translates to higher yields, more stable margins, and greater independence from volatile energy prices—a crucial factor, especially in times of energy crises.

In the long run, that is exactly the goal: a film that can be fully integrated into natural cycles. In other words, soft optical elements for the compost pile. Since our materials are based on proteins and biogenic carrier materials, they are inherently biodegradable and non-toxic.

Depending on the specific final product design and regulatory requirements, future disposal could be significantly easier than with classic plastic films—ideally relying entirely on biological decomposition. This fundamentally sets our solution apart from conventional agricultural films, which often have to be disposed of as plastic waste.

The collaboration grew out of our own initiative and was set in motion by Mimotype. We came across a publication by the UCL Photonics Innovation Lab about boosting light extraction through surface microtexturing, though that was based on conventional plastics and light converters. Around the same time, we had indications that Modern Synthesis’s nanocellulose could be an ideal scaffolding material for our luminescent proteins.

Internally, we thought of the project as a “Triple Whopper”—three unique approaches that, when combined, enable a completely new material system. There is nothing new under the sun, and taken individually, each of these approaches was already known. But the level of innovation comes from the fact that we envisioned these three methods together. Out of that, something never seen before was created, and we were able to demonstrate that biogenic materials are also perfectly suited for advanced manufacturing methods like surface microtexturing.

Each partner brought their specific expertise to the project:

• Mimotype develops the optically active proteins and the fundamental material design,
• Modern Synthesis provides the biological carrier matrix based on bacterial nanocellulose,
• The UCL Photonics Innovation Lab optimizes light guidance through microstructured surfaces.

The term “concept car” describes the fact that we are already demonstrating what is technologically possible—even if all the steps toward industrialization are not yet complete.

Currently, we are working on scaling production and testing the materials under real-world conditions. Parallel to this, we are optimizing cost structures and manufacturing processes, for instance, through biotechnological scaling in bioreactors.

When these films will hit the fields depends primarily on whether our approach gains traction: the idea that converting light directly into light can be more energy-efficient than agrivoltaics—where massive solar panels are built over agricultural fields to combine power generation and farming. Our philosophy is: new nanomaterials to harness the sun’s light energy without lossy conversion into electricity.

In any case, a technically scaled-down version of our concept will be tested on strawberries in Brazil starting this year. Hopefully, the intense sunlight will make those strawberries exceptionally sweet!