Luciferase-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles in Medical Imaging

By Philip Renkert, Emily Chen, and Megan Mazzatenta Bioluminescent animals such as fireflies and dinoflagellates produce natural light in order to find mates and to protect their species from predators, but that same light has potential to greatly improve current medical practices. Medical imaging is crucial for tracking the progress of disease throughout the human body, but the synthesized chemicals currently used in the process inflict additional harm on the body, leaving scientists searching for a less invasive imaging method. By processing magnetic nanoparticles that are coated in luciferase, the main enzyme involved in bioluminescence, cells can be individually tracked in a natural, non-toxic manner. In animals, agitation from the environment creates a flow of protons that bring the enzyme luciferase in contact with the compound luciferin. The luciferin is then oxidized in the presence of other compounds, such as adenosine triphosphate, and photons are released to generate light. Lucifera