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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 10, 2026

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria

Published on: June 28, 2018

Revealing vortex structure with pyrocystis lunula bioluminescence.

Lucia Castellani¹, Giovanni Ravazzani², Giuseppe Passoni³

¹Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, Milan, 20133, Italy. lucia.castellani@polimi.it.

Scientific Reports

|November 27, 2025

Summary

Pyrocystis lunula bioluminescence effectively visualizes vortex structures in stirred seawater. This dinoflagellate species acts as a biological sensor for fluid shear stress, offering a low-cost tool for hydrodynamic studies.

Keywords:

Bioluminescence Biosensor Flow tracer Pyrocystis lunula Rankine vortex Shear stress Water stirrer

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Area of Science:

Fluid Dynamics
Biophysics
Marine Biology

Background:

Investigating the relationship between dinoflagellate bioluminescence and hydrodynamic flow fields.
Focus on water-induced shear stress and its effects on bioluminescent organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

Compare observed vortex funnel depths with existing models.
Estimate shear stress distribution within the flow field.
Validate Pyrocystis lunula as a biological sensor for fluid shear stress.

Main Methods:

Experiments using a magnetic stirrer in seawater with Pyrocystis lunula.
Analysis of vortex structures and funnel depths.
Estimation of shear stress distribution.

Main Results:

Pyrocystis lunula bioluminescence correlates with vortex structure.
Bioluminescence serves as an indicator of tangential shear stress in vortical flows.
Vortex funnel depths align with established models.

Conclusions:

Pyrocystis lunula is a valid biological sensor for shear stress in fluid dynamics.
The dinoflagellate offers a low-cost, non-invasive method for visualizing fluid structures.
Hydrodynamics can be a functional design parameter for applications using dinoflagellates.