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Related Experiment Videos

Bacteria "Read" Light To Gain a Competitive Advantage.

Carolyn E Lubner1

  • 1Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA Cara.Lubner@nrel.gov.

Journal of Bacteriology
|March 6, 2019
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals that some nonphotosynthetic bacteria can use light to enhance their growth, suggesting novel biological mechanisms for harnessing solar energy beyond photosynthesis. Researchers identified a potential light-sensing molecule involved in this process.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Photosynthesis is the primary way organisms convert solar energy into chemical energy.
  • Light also activates photosensory proteins for DNA repair, gene regulation, and circadian rhythms.
  • The potential for nonphotosynthetic organisms to utilize light for other biological functions remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate light-enhanced growth in nonphotosynthetic actinobacteria.
  • To identify the photosensitive molecule responsible for this phenomenon.
  • To explore the regulatory networks involved in light-mediated growth.

Main Methods:

  • Observation of light-enhanced growth in selected nonphotosynthetic actinobacteria.
  • Identification of potential photosensitizing compounds.
Keywords:
ActinobacteriaCyanobacteriacryptochromeenergy efficiencylightphotosynthesis

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of regulatory networks associated with the observed phenotype.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated light-enhanced growth in several species of nonphotosynthetic actinobacteria.
    • Identified a potential photosensitizer contributing to this light-dependent growth.
    • Detailed the regulatory mechanisms underlying this novel biological response to light.

    Conclusions:

    • Nonphotosynthetic actinobacteria possess mechanisms to utilize light for growth enhancement.
    • This discovery suggests previously unknown roles for light in biological systems.
    • Opens new avenues for research into light as an information source for nonphotosynthetic life.