RT Journal Article
T1 Bringing Light to Science Undergraduate Students: A Successful Laboratory Experiment Illustrating the Principles and Applications of Bioluminescence
A1 García-Ponce, Ángel Luis
A1 Torres-Vargas, José Antonio
A1 García-Caballero, Melissa
A1 Medina-Torres, Miguel Ángel
A1 Blanco-López, Ángel
A1 Rodríguez-Quesada, Ana María
K1 Bioluminiscencia
K1 Bioquímica - Experimentos
AB Although many laboratory experiments are available to illustrate spectrophotometric or fluorometric methods, few of them introduce the use of luminometry to students. Bioluminescence, a subtype of chemiluminescence, isproduced when an enzyme-catalyzed chemical reaction gives rise to light emission. Despite the advantages of bioluminescent methods, including sensitivity and specificity, and their increasing use in experimental sciences and biomedical laboratories, their presence in courses is almost nonexistent. The luciferase-catalyzed enzymatic reaction has generated a myriad of practical applications, including those derived from the measurement of the ATP consumed in the reaction. In particular, the measurement of ATP levels in drinking or stored waters directly correlates with their bacteria content, facilitating the development of rapid methods for detecting bacterial contamination. This avoids the long waiting time associated with traditional microbiological methods, based on the growth of the microorganisms in a suitable culture medium. Over the past two years at the University of Malaga, we have implemented a new laboratory experiment for undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry students. Inthis experiment, students detected bacterial contamination in water by quantifying ATP with the luciferase-catalyzed reaction. The experiment was successfully implemented in two different formats, either as a full project developed by students throughout the entire duration of the academic course, or as a short protocol, carried out in a single laboratory session. Between them, a whole range of intermediate options could be arranged by educators to suit their course requirements and the learning objectives to be achieved by students.
PB ACS Publications
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/23660
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/23660
LA eng
NO J. Chem. Educ. 98: 2419-2429, 2021
NO This work was supported by the University of Malaga (Spain) funds granted to the educational innovation projects PIE19-086 and PIE19-057, and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities Grant EDU2017-82197-P.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 19 ene 2026