Super plants can purify the air in your room organically

The genetically modified plant was developed with support from the Île-de-France Region

At the beginning of January, the regional government of Île-de-France sent a delegation of locally supported start-ups to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas (USA). One of these start-ups, called Neoplants, has developed an innovative, subtle and organic way to purify the indoor ambiance of one’s home – a genetically modified pot plant called Neo P1.

The latter has the capacity of 30 conventional plants and is especially suited for people who don’t have a green thumb or are not good at taking care of plants but would also like to breathe better air while enjoying the sight of some natural greens in their own room.

How it works

The type of plant is known as pothos, a species native to French Polynesia that is already quite suited to capturing particles from the air.

The Neo P1 has been specifically designed to capture large amounts of four of the most toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), namely formaldehyde, benzene, toluene and xylene. Genes added to its DNA cause it to produce enzymes which convert those compounds into harmless substances that are used by the plant.

Still, genetically modified or not, this “biotech” solution is still a living organism, so it does need a bit of care, but luckily it is designed to be quite sturdy.

It comes with its own special soil which contains biochar, a charcoal-like material that is produced by heating biomass in an oxygen-free environment. Among other things, the biochar provides a home for beneficial microorganisms which are added to the soil once a month, in supplements known as Power Drops.

These microbes receive life-sustaining nutrients from the plant while simultaneously boosting its air purification performance – they also do some VOC-capturing of their own, as air flows through the soil via slots in the supplied pot. 

And of course, it needs to be watered. Twice a month in the summer and just once a month in wintertime.

The plant will soon be available on the market and it even has a price (starting at 179 dollars), however, there is a waiting list where people wishing to acquire it can register.