SpyTag can spontaneously form a covalent isopeptide bond with its protein partner SpyCatcher. Firefly luciferase from Photinus pyralis was cyclized in vivo by fusing SpyCatcher at the N terminus and SpyTag at the C terminus. Circular LUC was more thermostable and alkali-tolerant than the wild type, without compromising the specific activity. Structural analysis indicated that the cyclized LUC i...

R. Sch€ onherr, M. Klinge, J. M. Rudolph, K. Fita, D. Rehders, F. L€ ubber, S. Schneegans, I. V. Majoul, M. Duszenko, C. Betzel, A. Brandariz-Nu~ nez, J. Martinez-Costas, R. Duden, and L. Redecke Institute of Biology, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of L€ ubeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 L€ ubeck, Germany Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cel...

Response to synchronization seems to be a widespread phenomenon specially in biological systems. We highlight this phenomenon studying the courtship of flashing fireflies in which a typical collective rhythm occurring only among the males arises and it is followed by a response of the females. Based on a model issued from electronic fireflies, we explain the synchronization of the males and the...

Cuckoo search (CS) was introduced in 2009, and it has attracted great attention due to its promising efficiency in solving many optimization problems and real-world applications. In the last few years, many papers have been published regarding cuckoo search, and the relevant literature has expanded significantly. This chapter summarizes briefly the majority of the literature about cuckoo search...

This paper describes the design and implementation of a distributed self-stabilizing clock synchronization algorithm based on the biological example of Asian Fireflies. Huge swarms of these fireflies use the principle of pulse coupled oscillators in order to synchronously emit light flashes to attract mating partners. When applying this algorithm to real sensor networks, typically, nodes cannot...

Decentralized Synchronization for Wireless Sensor Networks Due to their heavy restrictions on the hardware side, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) require specially adapted synchronization protocols to maximize measurement precision and minimize computation efforts and energy costs. A promising approach is given by the ”Firefly Protocol”. Inspired by the behavior of fireflies it is intrinsically r...

We have developed a method for measuring the local concentration of ATP at the extracellular surface of live cells. This method relies on the specific attachment to the cell surface of a chimeric protein that consists of the IgG-binding domain of Staphylococcus aureus protein A fused in-frame with the complete sequence for firefly luciferase (proA-luc). Expression of proA-luc in Escherichia col...

The plant circadian clock allows the anticipation of daily changes to the environment. This anticipation aids the responses to temporally predictable biotic and abiotic stress. Conversely, disruption of circadian timekeeping severely compromises plant health and reduces agricultural crop yields. It is therefore imperative that we understand the intricate regulation of circadian rhythms in plant...

The female of Pyrocoelia prolongata Jeng & Lai, a diurnal lampyrid species from Taiwan, is described for the first time. A single individual was found in a small, shady, dry streambed at the edge of a mixed forest at 2700 m elevation. The individual glowed in darkness and would move its abdomen up and down when disturbed and as a deterring behavior. A key to the females of the species of Pyroco...

Fetal intraperitoneal administration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-l-derived lentiviral vectors (10(7) infectious particles/fetus) has consistently shown high levels of transduction and gene expression in the omentum, peritoneum, and diaphragm when assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and whole tissue fluorescence. In vivo imaging techniques were explored with early-gestation lon...