Glow-in-the-dark: Exploring the opportunities and challenges of bioluminescent plankton as a natural light source

Abstract

Bioluminescent plankton are marine organisms capable of emitting visible light through chemical reactions in their bodies. This unique biochemical trait is attributed to a luciferin-luciferase reaction, which produces a striking blue light. This fascinating phenomenon, often referred to as the “blue tears” effect, has become a major attraction for tourist attractions in many countries. Since their discovery, most investigations related to these marine organisms have primarily focused on the fields of biology, ecology, oceanography, and microbiology. However, there has been limited to almost no study of their potential applications in the area of energy or lighting. This paper provides viewpoints on the opportunities for using these marine organisms and their light-emitting characteristics as an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting solution, rather than just as a tourist attraction. Additionally, it addresses the challenges associated with sustaining the growth of bioluminescent plankton collected from the marine environment, the importance of establishing suitable protocols for in-house cultivation, challenges in stimulating the light-production at desired time, constraint imposed by the circadian rhythm, the toxicity of certain bioluminescent plankton, and the capacity of their luminous intensity.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

biodiversity / bioluminescent plankton / energy / light source / carbon neutrality / sustainability

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by UCSI University through Research Excellence and Innovation Grant (REIG) with project code REIG-FETBE-2024/032.

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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