Experiment to understand ATP activity: Reproduction of firefly light emission

Abstract

I devised an experiment that reproduces the luminescence of a firefly using a LuciPac Pen and presented it to first-year high school students taking a Basic Biology course. In the experiment, the substrate luciferin reacted with the enzyme luciferase, and a remarkable luminescence was observed. The following procedure should be performed: the tip of the swab of the LuciPac Pen was dipped into the solution containing only ATP that was freshly prepared by the teacher, the swab was then re-inserted into its holder and was shaken. The luminescence produced lasted for more than 30 minutes due to the presence of pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase. Students participated in the lesson by performing the experiment, and thus it became very popular among them. Considerations of what causes the light emission to stop can also be addressed. This experiment can be used as teaching material and can also be used for additional inquiry-based learning activities.