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Bioluminescence as a defense mechanism: Study reveals dinoflagellate plankton glow to prevent predators from eating them

January 24, 2020 -

In a study published in the journal Current Biology and supported by the Swedish Research Council, researchers found that for at least one dinoflagellate species (Lingulodinium polyedra), bioluminescence functions as a defense mechanism that helps them ward off predatory copepod grazers.

"That bioluminescence, in addition to being a beautiful light phenomenon in the sea, is a defensive mechanism that some species of plankton use to ward off their enemies," ...

Bioluminescence as a defense mechanism: Study reveals dinoflagellate plankton glow to prevent predators from eating them

January 14, 2020 - bioluminescence, cool science, defense mechanism, dinoflagellates, Ecology, environment, marine life, Oceans, plankton, research, wildlife

That beautiful glow you see on beaches at night may actually be the biological equivalent of warning sirens, according to a new study.

In a study published in the journal Current Biology and supported by the Swedish Research Council, researchers found that for at least one dinoflagellate species (Lingulodinium polyedra), ...

Photodynamic treatments for human health and the food supply: Light compounds being developed that will fight microbial infections and cancer

March 21, 2018 - bioluminescence of the firefly or “lightning bug.” These gentle, flying beetles can be seen in the early summer, lighting up the night with their blinking luminescence. Early clinical tests show that firefly light contains a specific substance that can treat skin cancer and cancers lining internal organs.

That blinking light that so many children chase across the summer countryside is a secret formula for "lighting up" cancer cells and taking them out. Researchers ...

Scientists develop “synthetic bioluminescent molecules” to make cells glow bright enough to be seen from outside the human body

August 15, 2018 -

According to a paper titled, "Single-cell bioluminescence imaging of deep tissue in freely moving animals," which was published recently in the journal Science, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan were able to create lab mice that had glowing neurons inside of their brains. To be more specific, the brains of the lab mice had glowing neurons in the hippocampus, which is said to be the center of the autonomic nervous system. These glowing neurons ...

A different kind of Jaws: Scientists discover a tiny new species of shark that glows in the dark

April 17, 2020 - bioluminescence

Research on the American pocket shark began in 2013, when Grace first came across it while examining specimens captured by NOAA during a 2010 mission to study sperm whales. Grace and the researchers from Tulane began studying the shark. They used X-ray imaging and high-resolution CT scans to examine both the inside and outside of the pocket shark. They also received help from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France. The ESRF had an X-ray ...

Enzyme that will make Bill Gates’ vaccine microchip implant work known as LUCIFERASE

May 15, 2020 -

According to reports, luciferase will activate these quantum dot "microneedles," as they are also called, effectively delivering the so-called vaccines into people's bodies. This "near infrared bioluminescence enzyme luciferase" is what will make the Gates vaccines readable through special mobile device apps that will scan the injection site and identify the "digital certificates," or proof of vaccination, that Gates and others have been publicly announcing in recent days....

Weird wonders of the deep: The coffinfish can hold its breath for up to 4 minutes at a time

December 23, 2019 - bioluminescence — that can attract prey and ward off potential predators.

To survive, the researchers said, the coffinfish had to adapt and hold its breath in order to save energy and focus on catching its prey.

From these findings, the researchers were able to give a deeper insight into the mysterious creatures of the deep, giving a glimpse of how they adapt and survive in an otherwise unlivable part of the ocean. (Related: Deep sea mining: discovery of ...

A group of marine invertebrates use sheets of mucus to catch their food

June 21, 2018 -

Pyrosomes belong to a group of marine organisms that Kelly Sutherland, assistant professor of biology at the University of Oregon, calls “mucous-mesh grazers.” The term is an accurate description of what these animals do to catch their meal – they secrete a mesh-like sheet of mucus that catches bacteria-sized phytoplankton while they drift across the sea.

But don't let the size of their food fool you. Some pyrosomes can be as small as your finger – some are even as small ...

Scientists develop new insulation material inspired by polar bears

January 07, 2020 - bioluminescence and coloration as well as unique methods of flight and locomotion.

Throughout history, scientists and engineers have made it a goal to reproduce these natural characteristics in man-made materials, machinery and other applications, a process known as “biomimicry.”

Now, scientists from China have developed a light-weight, elastic and heat-insulating material, which they hope can be applied in both the architecture and aerospace industries in the future....