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Key research themes
1. How are microbial bioluminescence systems characterized at the molecular and biochemical level, and what are the implications for mechanistic understanding?
This research theme focuses on elucidating the molecular components, enzymatic mechanisms, and biochemical pathways underlying bioluminescence in diverse microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and marine symbionts. Understanding luciferase-luciferin pairs, biosynthetic pathways, enzyme kinetics, and spectral properties sheds light on how light emission is achieved and regulated. These insights have broad implications for deciphering evolutionary origins, biological roles, and opportunities to engineer or mimic these systems in biotechnological applications.
Key finding: Provided a detailed enzymatic and kinetic analysis of bacterial luciferase from species including Vibrio harveyi and Aliivibrio fischeri, confirming FMNH2, oxygen, and long-chain aldehydes as substrates. Demonstrated that... Read more
Key finding: Identified the fungal luciferase and three biosynthetic enzymes responsible for luciferin production from caffeic acid, enabling the reconstruction of a complete fungal bioluminescence pathway in yeast. Demonstrated... Read more
Key finding: Isolated and identified Shewanella hanedai as a dominant luminous bacterium. Optimized environmental and nutritional conditions yielding maximal luciferase activity (~7.4 × 10^7 photons per second). Purified luciferase to... Read more
2. What roles do quorum sensing and environmental variables play in regulating bacterial bioluminescence dynamics?
This theme investigates how bacterial population density sensing (quorum sensing) and external environmental factors influence the onset, intensity, and quenching of bioluminescence. Quantitative dynamical models that capture signaling molecule production, colony growth, and gene regulation enable predictive understanding of timing and magnitude of light emission. The research also evaluates ecological interactions and physiological responses that modulate bioluminescence in situ.
Key finding: Developed a mathematical dynamical model coupling bacterial growth, autoinducer synthesis and sensing, and quorum sensing activation to bioluminescence onset in Vibrio jasicida colonies. The model quantitatively reproduced... Read more
Key finding: Provided ecological and physiological characterization of diverse luminous bacterial symbionts in multiple marine hosts, underscoring symbiont specificity and environmental adaptation. Demonstrated host selectivity mechanisms... Read more
3. How can engineered bioluminescent systems and probes advance microbial detection, imaging, and biotechnological applications?
This theme examines innovations in designing modified luciferases, synthetic luciferins, and bioluminescence-based reporters that improve brightness, spectral properties, and sensitivity for microbial detection and imaging. It encompasses applications in real-time monitoring of microbial activity, pathogen inhibition tracking in vivo, and toxicity screening, leveraging genetic encodability, protein engineering, and resonance energy transfer mechanisms to enhance performance.
Key finding: Engineered a fusion of bacterial luciferase subunit luxB with circularly permuted yellow fluorescent protein Venus, inducing efficient BRET that enhanced bioluminescence brightness up to tenfold in E. coli. Demonstrated... Read more
Key finding: Developed a luciferin-based bioluminescent probe selectively activated by bacterial nitroreductase enzymes, enabling rapid real-time detection of live microbes with over 100-fold signal increase. The strategy bypasses the... Read more
Key finding: Constructed a lux-expressing Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain allowing noninvasive in vivo bioluminescence imaging to monitor infection dynamics. Demonstrated that probiotic Bacteroides fragilis reduces V. parahaemolyticus... Read more
Key finding: Reviewed advances in synthetic luciferins, engineered luciferases, and their applications including ATP sensing, pollutant mapping, gene expression assays, photodynamic therapy, and neuronal control. Highlighted protein... Read more