Team:Cambridge/Bioluminescence/Luciferin Regeneration

Photinus pyralis

Fireflies are easily visible in the evening, whereas colonies of bacteria expressing luciferase are not. We hope to remove this divide by expressing further enzymes exploited by fireflies. In E. coli and in eukaryotes, each molecule of luciferin that emits light is turned into oxyluciferin and cannot be regenerated. A further problem is that this oxyluciferin inhibits the further reactions of luciferase.

We believe that the newly characterised luciferin regenerating enzyme may solve these problems and allow brighter longer lasting light output without further addition of substrate.