China has successfully cultivated its first noctilucent plant through gene-editing technology, which gives out a faint glow in the dark, in Yunnan province.

Inspired by the movie Avatar, the Kunming-based NioBio biotechnology company began its research on noctilucent plants in 2012.

"In nature, some insects are noctilucent, such as fireflies. Some microorganisms also give out light, including certain oceanic bacteria. But there is no such plant that can naturally shine at night," said Duan Kang, the project's team leader.

Scientists first tried to add the lux gene from fireflies to plants, but the light was only visible when viewed through certain equipment. The team then tried taking the lux gene from oceanic organisms, which ultimately proved successful, Yunnan.cn reported.

"The light is constant and does not fade," Duan confirmed, adding that the team will continue its research to boost the light.