Students in Shoreham-Wading River High School’s Advance Placement
biology class are examining many scientific topics and were excited with
their latest lab project: making bacteria glow. Working with teacher
Sherry Neff, they transformed the bacteria with a plasmid that contained
the luciferase gene, which originates from bacteria that live in the
light organ of the fish Monocentric japonicus, commonly known as the
pineapple fish. According to Neff, the luciferase gene was originally
cloned at Stony Brook University. A similar gene is what causes
bioluminescence in fireflies.