luciferase
noun
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| \ l眉-藞si-f蓹-藢r膩s
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Definition of luciferase
: an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of luciferin
Examples of luciferase in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The fireflies were then ground up for its enzymes luciferin and luciferase, which give it its bioluminescent capabilities. — Dan Radel, USA TODAY, "Fireflies are dying out because people are destroying their habitats," 1 Aug. 2019 Presumably the first luciferin-luciferase pair would have survived and multiplied. — Quanta Magazine, "In the Deep, Clues to How Life Makes Light," 1 Dec. 2016 In 1986, scientists at the University of California, San Diego, modified and inserted the firefly luciferase gene into a tobacco plant. — Quanta Magazine, "In the Deep, Clues to How Life Makes Light," 1 Dec. 2016 The type of luciferase enzyme found in the fireworm were brand new: they have never been detected in any other species. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "These Tiny Fireworms Light up to Make Love," 11 Aug. 2018 Like many bioluminescent animals their light is created by a reaction between the light-emitting molecule luciferin and the enzyme luciferase. — National Geographic, "Living Fireworks, These Animals Produce Light Shows with Their Bodies," 30 June 2018 The team engineered this regulator to control the third and final part of the genetic circuit, which is a set of genes that encodes a luminescence system鈥攔esulting in a bioluminescent enzyme called luciferase鈥攆rom Photorhabdus luminescens. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "This capsule of glowing E. coli will probe your gut for signs of trouble," 25 May 2018 To turn leaves into a light source, Strano uses luciferase, the enzyme responsible for a firefly鈥檚 glow. — Mark Ellwood, WSJ, "Your Next Desk Lamp: A Plant That Glows?," 15 May 2018 For the creation researchers used luciferase, the same enzyme that gives fireflies their glow. — Emily Price, Fortune, "MIT Researchers Have Created Glowing Plants That Might One Day Replace Lights," 15 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'luciferase.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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