Illuminating luciferin bioluminescence in dinoflagellates
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Sch of Ocean and Earth Science
Abstract
Noctiluca scintillans (the sea sparkle) and other dinoflagellates are responsible for most bioluminescence in European seas and familiar blue-glow blooms. Dinoflagellate bioluminescence has a currently unclear ecological role, but its apparent importance in marine food webs [2,3] highlights the need to understand its environmental regulation and molecular underpinning. Fundamental gaps in knowledge include how bioluminescence varies within natural populations [3] and how dinoflagellates produce luciferin [1]. We hypothesize that (a) Bioluminescence intensity and protein expression vary among individual cells and are circadian-regulated; (b) Luciferin is generated by an oxygenase enzyme from the pyropheophorbide a molecule. The investigation of these issues will help illuminate the environmental role of bioluminescence and accelerate the industrial use of dinoflagellate luciferin.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Jan Janouskovec (Primary Supervisor) | |
James Vanstone (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NE/S007210/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/09/2027 | |||
2890129 | Studentship | NE/S007210/1 | 25/09/2023 | 25/03/2027 | James Vanstone |