By: Zeynep Tokuz
Have you ever wondered how or why fireflies glow? Many organisms exhibit bioluminescence—in this article, we will explore its modern applications.
Let's start with two questions: How do organisms glow, and why? Organisms use bioluminescence, or the emission of light from living organisms, for different reasons, including scaring off predators, hunting, and attracting mates. Essentially, bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that occurs when an organism contains luciferin, a molecule that produces light as a byproduct when reacted with oxygen. It’s what makes the organism glow.
In the field of biotechnology, scientists explore bioluminescence by creating glow-in-the-dark bacteria. By inserting fluorescent protein genes into E. Coli bacteria, scientists can genetically modify the bacteria and cause them to glow. Scientists gather bacterial colonies into a transformation* solution and add the pGLO plasmid (a plasmid that contains a gene that codes for green fluorescence) into the solution. Next, a heat shock is performed in order to encourage successful transformation: bacteria are first iced for ten minutes, then placed into 42℃ water. In this process, the cell walls of bacteria become more permeable, and the pGLO plasmid is integrated into the bacterial genome; in reality, this step is extremely tedious, as heating the bacteria for too long will cause them to deteriorate. After the heat shock, the bacteria are placed back onto the ice so they can recover. The final steps of bacterial transformation include spreading the colonies in agar dishes*, and incubating them. After the incubation period, transformed bacteria will display bioluminescence.
Congratulations! You’ve now learned how glow-in-the-dark bacteria are made. But how does this apply to the wider applications of scientific research? Today, bioluminescence is a valuable concept in many fields of science. In the medical field, researchers use bioluminescence to track and identify cancerous cells. In water treatment plants, bioluminescence is a crucial tool in detecting traces of toxins and verifying the cleanliness of drinking water. Bioluminescence is a topic of growing popularity, with many discoveries just waiting to be uncovered. You, too, could be the one who unmasks the unknown.
*transformation: the process in which exogenous genetic material is taken up and incorporated by a cell through its cell membrane
*agar dishes: the standard solid support material for growing microorganisms
Sources:
“Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2021, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bioluminescence.
“Bioluminescence: 9 Incredible Glowing Sea Creatures – Travel Blog – Tripbase.” Tripbase.com, 12 May 2011, blog.tripbase.com/bioluminescence-9-incredible-glowing-sea-creatures/.
“More than 75% of Surveyed Sea Animals Glow in the Dark.” Science.org, 2021, www.science.org/content/article/more-75-surveyed-sea-animals-glow-dark#:~:text=Some%20use%20the%20light%20to,should%20be%20expected%20to%20have..
The Ocean Portal Team. “Bioluminescence.” Smithsonian Ocean, Apr. 2018, ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/bioluminescence#:~:text=Bioluminescence%20occurs%20through%20a%20chemical,reacts%20with%20oxygen%2C%20produces%20light..
“Living Light: Is There a Future for Bioluminescence Technology?” Konica Minolta Sensing, 7 Feb. 2020, sensing.konicaminolta.us/us/blog/living-light-is-there-a-future-for-bioluminescence-technology/.
Comments