Bioluminescence Measurement
Bioluminescence Measurement - Related Videos
08:32
The ATP Bioluminescence Assay
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2023
In fireflies, the luciferase enzyme converts a compound called luciferin into oxyluciferin, and produces light or “luminescence” as a result. This reaction requires energy derived from ATP in order to proceed, so researchers have exploited the luciferase-luciferin interaction to gauge ATP levels in cells. Given ATP’s role as the cell’s currency of energy, the ATP bioluminescence assay can provide insight into cellular metabolism and overall cell health.In this video, JoVE discusses cellular...
03:07
Bioluminescence Imaging of Neuroinflammation in a Transgenic Mouse
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2025
Source: Breid, S., et. al. Bioluminescence Imaging of Neuroinflammation in Transgenic Mice After Peripheral Inoculation of Alpha-Synuclein Fibrils. J. Vis. Exp. (2017)This video demonstrates the bioluminescence imaging of neuroinflammation in transgenic mice, showcasing luciferase-luciferin reactions in activated astrocytes. The protocol enables non-invasive quantification of astrocytic activation, aiding studies on CNS inflammation and therapeutic efficacy.
02:02
Bioluminescence Imaging of Bacterial Infections in Mice
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2026
Source: de Vries, C. R., et al., A Delayed Inoculation Model of Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Wound Infection. J. Vis. Exp. (2020).This video demonstrates a bioluminescent imaging technique to monitor bacterial infection progression in a live mouse model. Pathogenic bacteria engineered with the luxABCDE reporter system emit light at the infection site, allowing visualization of metabolically active bacteria. By imaging the mouse over time, researchers can non-invasively track infection...
05:06
Bioluminescent Bacterial Imaging In Vivo
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Cited by 9 •
2012
This article describes the administration of lux-tagged bacteria to mice and subsequent in vivo analysis using IVIS bioluminescence imaging.
02:28
Bioluminescence Imaging of an Immunocompetent Mouse Model for Glioblastoma
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2025
Source: Clark, A.J., et al. Bioluminescence Imaging of an Immunocompetent Animal Model for Glioblastoma. J. Vis. Exp. (2016)This video demonstrates bioluminescence imaging to track glioblastoma progression in an immunocompetent mouse model, using luciferase-expressing tumor cells and luciferin to quantify tumor growth non-invasively.
FAQs
The luciferase-substrate reaction creates photons that can be followed across time. When an engineered luciferase reporter is present in a neural cell, instruments record the resulting light as signal intensity at successive measurements. This time-resolved pattern lets investigators monitor changes in reporter-linked biological activity instead of depending only on a single endpoint within the same experiment.
Repeated measurements are valuable because the method can monitor living cells or organisms with limited sample disruption. Researchers can therefore follow the same biological system over time, rather than comparing only separate samples collected at different stages. In neuroscience, this supports longitudinal observation of changing gene expression, circadian rhythms, neural signaling, or disease-related activity.
Luminometers, cameras, and microscopy systems can capture photons produced by the reporter reaction, after which the light is converted into signal intensity. This range of equipment supports measurements in both cultured neurons and animal models, allowing researchers to select a detection format suited to the biological system and the type of observation required.
A basic workflow uses an engineered luciferase reporter in the neural system, provides the reporter's substrate, and captures the emitted photons with a luminometer, camera, or microscopy system. Researchers then quantify the light output as signal intensity over time. The resulting record can be examined for changes in the biological process linked to the reporter.
Bioluminescence measurement can track gene expression, circadian rhythms, neural signaling, and cellular viability. Researchers apply these readouts in cultured neurons and animal models to observe biological activity without relying exclusively on a terminal measurement. The approach is particularly useful when the study requires repeated monitoring of a process across time.
Signal patterns collected over time can provide information about changes associated with brain function or disease-related biology. In neuroscience models, researchers can repeatedly monitor reporter-linked activity in cultured neurons or animals, helping place observations such as altered gene expression, neural signaling, or cellular viability within a longitudinal experimental record.