Luminescent moss inspires cerebral artwork

The provocative artwork, which is being produced in a lab at the University of Leeds, is the result of an unusual partnership between a Japanese artist and two scientists in the Faculty of Biological Sciences.

International moss experts Dr Andy Cuming and Dr Yasuko Kamisugi are assisting artist Jun Takita with the project by genetically modifying a type of bioluminescent moss in their lab – the plant has been implanted with an enzyme called luciferase, which famously gives fireflies their ‘glowing bottoms’.

Dr Cuming says the enzyme luciferase is widely used in scientific research as a ‘reporter gene’: “For example, it can be used in living cells so they emit light from a target protein when a particular gene has been expressed, or in the presence of certain diseases.”

Forensic scientists also use the enzyme to uncover traces of blood at a crime scene, and blood banks use it to determine when red blood cells are starting to break down.

However, the genetically modified moss used to create Takita’s artwork does not glow 24 hours a day – it will only produce a small flash of light when sprayed with a solution containing a compound called luciferin.

“One molecule of luciferin can produce just one photon of light, so you can’t actually see it with the naked eye – you need a very photo-sensitive camera,” explains Dr Cuming. “With luck, in a few weeks’ time we’ll be able to photograph the moss-brain glowing in the dark as a result.”

A pilot version of the artwork – which uses non-transgenic moss – will be displayed in Liverpool this month at an exhibition called‘Sk-interfaces’, as part of the city’s year as European Capital of Culture.

Source: By University Of Leeds