The BIOLUMICOAT project investigates the development of engineered living coatings that integrate microorganisms into architectural surfaces to achieve adaptive, responsive, and sustainable performance. The long-term vision is to create bioluminescent coatings, where microbial consortia act as natural light emitters while also providing protective and decorative functions.

To move towards this goal, current work focuses on preliminary studies of material–biofilm interfaces. Within BIOLUMICOAT, protocols are being established for the characterization of microbial colonization on substrates such as wood and concrete. Synchrotron-based microtomography has been applied as a non-destructive technique to visualize biofilm formation and hyphal penetration, demonstrating the feasibility of 3D imaging for studying interface processes.

These early steps highlight the importance of developing reliable methods for interface characterization, which will serve as a foundation for future functionalization. By advancing protocols for studying material–biofilm interactions, BIOLUMICOAT lays the groundwork for integrating microbial systems into coating technologies. This methodological progress supports the long-term development of bioluminescent engineered living coatings, contributing to the advancement of Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) and aligning with the European Green Deal (Fig. 1).

Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) within the Research Project: BIOLUMICOAT, N2-0410. | The authors gratefully acknowledge receiving funding from the European Union (ERC, ARCHI-SKIN, #101044468). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. |This publication was partially developed under the provision of the Polish Ministry and Higher Education project "Support for research and development with the use of research infrastructure of the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS" under contract no 1/SOL/2021/2. | This work has received support from the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, project NEPHEWS – Neutrons and Photons Elevating Worldwide Science (No. 101131414). | We acknowledge Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste for providing access to its synchrotron radiation facilities and we thank Marko Prašek for assistance in using beamline SYRMEP.