Bioluminescence Imaging
Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism. Our Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging applies this technique to investigate various disease models and experimental therapies.
Location
Paul O'Gorman Building, Bloomsbury.
Available to
Academic and industry collaborators.
Prices
TBC
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Working with CABI
What is bioluminiscence imaging (BLI) used for?
Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism, such as a firefly. These organisms produce an enzyme known as luciferase. Energy catalyses its substrate, luciferin, to create light.
Engineering cells to express luciferase can therefore provide useful information on the behaviour of cells within the body, such as the location of cells after transplantation, their viability, proliferation, and migration.
At the Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI), we apply this technique to investigate various disease models and experimental therapies.
As luciferase requires energy to produce light, a change in light production provides a measurement of cell death or proliferation.
This mode of assessment provides rapid feedback on the response of cancer to new treatments and drug combinations, and their applicability to different tumour types.
For regenerative medicine, we use bioluminescence imaging to follow the survival and retention of stem cells that have been transplanted into the liver, kidneys, heart, or other organs.
This helps us to develop ways to repair damage using cells as a therapy, and to produce new materials and transplantation strategies for aiding cell growth and retention.
