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Bioluminescent Bacteria

Bioluminescent bacteria emit light in a biochemical process involving oxygen, ATP and the enzyme luciferase.  They are a wide variety of bioluminescent bacteria in both soil and aquatic environments.  Some grow on fishes (or squids) and the latter uses the light from these bacteria to evade predators or to catch smaller prey for food.  Examples of this collaboration can be found in the Hawaiian bobtail squid or the flashlight fish. The luciferase reaction has been used in applications like biosensors, cancer research and drug screening.

Growing bioluminescent Photobacterium sp.

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