How does bioluminescence imaging work?

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a technology that uses light emitted by enzyme-catalyzed reactions to report activity at the molecular level. Bioluminescent reporters require a small chemical substrate for non-invasive imaging in cell biology and small animal studies.

What is the difference between luciferase and bioluminescence?

Bioluminescence is due to light produced by a chemical reaction within a living organism. Luciferase and GFP are two proteins that are capable of producing bioluminescence.

How do you quantify bioluminescence?

Bioluminescence was quantified using region of interest (ROI) analysis of the individual wells, and the average signal, expressed as the total number of photons emitted per second per cm2 per steradian (s−1 cm−2 sr−1), from each of the wells was calculated using the Living Image 3.2 software (PerkinElmer).

What causes bioluminescence?

Bioluminescence occurs through a chemical reaction that produces light energy within an organism’s body. For a reaction to occur, a species must contain luciferin, a molecule that, when it reacts with oxygen, produces light.

What are some examples of bioluminescence?

Among land dwelling animals, bioluminescence occurs in invertebrates such as insects (fireflies, glow worms, millipedes), insect larvae, worms, and spiders. Below are examples of organisms, terrestrial and marine, that are bioluminescent.

What is luciferase imaging?

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is based on the sensitive detection of visible light produced during enzyme (luciferase)-mediated oxidation of a molecular substrate when the enzyme is expressed in vivo as a molecular reporter.

What is the significance of bioluminescence?

While the functions of bioluminescence are not known for all animals, typically bioluminescence is used to warn or evade predators), to lure or detect prey, and for communication between members of the same species.

What is an example of bioluminescence?

Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are one of the most common examples of bioluminescence. They have a special organ that produces light through a chemical reaction. Fireflies use flashing light to attract mates, but begin emitting light even as larvae.

What is bioluminescence imaging?

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is based on the sensitive detection of visible light produced during enzyme (luciferase)-mediated oxidation of a molecular substrate when the enzyme is expressed in vivo as a molecular reporter.

How is in vivo bioluminescence imaging performed in cancer cells?

Figure 1: In vivo bioluminescence imaging using luminescent living cells. A vector carrying a promoter-driven luc gene is transfected into a tumor cell. Stably transfected cells are expanded and implanted into a mouse. Following tumor growth, the animal is injected with luciferin and imaged in an IVIS imaging system under anesthesia.

Can bioluminescence imaging detect gastric ascites tumors?

Optical Bioluminescence Imaging. Imaging of Rluc and Fluc expression was aimed at monitoring teratoma development and tumor angiogenesis, respectively. In the present study, we established the gastric ascites tumor model in nude mice of NUGC-4-Luc cell lines and performed in vivo bioluminescence imaging.

What is bioluminescence and Bli systems?

BIOLUMINESCENCE AND BLI SYSTEMS Bioluminescence is appealing as an approach for in vivooptical imaging in mammalian tissues because these tissues have low intrinsic bioluminescence; therefore, images can be generated with remarkably high signal-to-noise ratios.