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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria
Published on: June 28, 2018
Luminescent whole-cell cyanobacterial bioreporter for measuring Fe availability in diverse marine environments
Ramakrishna Boyanapalli1, George S Bullerjahn, Christa Pohl
1Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA.
Abstract:
A Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 Fe bioreporter was constructed containing the isiAB promoter fused to the Vibrio harveyi luxAB genes. Bioreporter luminescence was characterized with respect to the free ferric ion concentration in trace metal-buffered synthetic medium. The applicability of the Fe bioreporter to assess Fe availability in the natural environment was tested by using samples collected from the Baltic Sea and from the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll subarctic Pacific Ocean. Parallel assessment of dissolved Fe and bioreporter response confirmed that direct chemical measurements of dissolved Fe should not be considered alone when assessing Fe availability to phytoplankton.
