Team:Groningen/education/science behind 1 en
BIOLUMINESCENCE
IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
Mark, or formally known
as Vibrio harveyi,
is a bioluminescent bacterium.
Bioluminescence
is the ability of some
organisms to produce
visible light.
Other examples of
bioluminescent organisms
include jellyfish, fireflies,
and Jack-O-Lantern
mushrooms.
DID YOU
KNOW?
Bioluminescence is used for various purposes,
such as attracting a significant other,
luring prey, and camouflage.
Arguably
the most interesting use
is found in some squid species
which can detach a glowing
body part when in the proximity
of a predator.
This allows them to run away
while the predator is tussling
with the illuminating
body part.
All bioluminescent organisms
have enzymes called luciferases.
These enzymes catalyze a production
of molecules that emit light.
Luciferases
are often used
in synthetic biology
to study parts of DNA called
PROMOTERS
Promoters
are important
because they determine
how much of a certain protein
is being produced
by the organism.
The amount of a
protein produced
depends on the strength
of a specific promoter.
Finding a better promoter allows
synthetic biologists to improve the production of
commercially important proteins, such as insulin
and proteins used in vaccines.
The number of
LUCIFERASES
produced by an organism can be easily calculated
from the intensity of the emitted light.
Therefore, synthetic biologists monitor
the production of luciferases to
determine the strength of the promoter that is
promoting its production.
Mark with
a strong promoter
for luciferase
Mark with
a weak promoter
for luciferase