Marine Bioluminescence: Mechanisms and Evaluation

In this report we emphasize our efforts towards elucidating the intracellular processes involved in sensing a mechanical stimulus and transducing that stimulus into a biochemical reaction resulting in light output. Bioluminescent dinoflagellates are ideal for such work because they are free-living singlecelled organisms, making it relatively simple to examine intracellular transduction events; and they are commonly the major producers of surface bioluminescence in the ocean.