Bioluminescence imaging
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Bioluminescence imaging is a technology developed over the past decade that allows for the noninvasive study of ongoing biological processes in small laboratory animals.
Bioluminescence is the process of light emission in living organisms. Bioluminescence imaging utilizes native light emission from one of several organisms which bioluminesce, such as the North American firefly or any of several marine organisms. The DNA encoding the luminescent protein is incorporated into the laboratory animal either via a virus or by creating a transgenic animal.
While the total amount of light emitted from bioluminescence is typically small and not detected by the human eye, an ultra-sensitive CCD camera can image bioluminescence from an external vantage point.
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