Firefly Luminescence Reveals Dangerous Pesticides

A luminescence response patterned after fireflies may detect organophosphate contamination with great sensitivity, simplicity, and cheap cost.

A novel enzymatic approach for the production of analogues of luciferin, the molecule that causes fireflies to shine, is at the heart of this technology.

It might also be utilized in the field, according to a team of researchers who published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Use of luciferin in indicating pesticide

Pesticide analysis for foods and biological materials is frequently conducted using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), an accurate and sensitive analytical approach that is also difficult and costly.

Methods for identifying pesticides are more restricted in low-income parts of the world, where expensive analytical equipment is not easily available, and acute, even deadly, poisoning incidents in agriculture are more prevalent, as per labcompare.

Researchers from the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Mahidol University, Burapha University, and the Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have developed a new process modelled after the bioluminescence of fireflies to design a simpler, less expensive, and more accessible testing method for toxic organophosphate pesticides.

According to ScienceDaily, the researchers, led by Pimcle Chaiyen, began with the HELP reaction, a novel enzymatic cascade reaction for the synthesis of luciferin analogues from phenolic chemicals.

The enzyme luciferase employs luciferin as a substrate, which causes fireflies to shine.

Bioluminescence catalyzed by luciferase is an essential approach in biochemical research and toxicant analysis.

HELP enables the production of luciferin analogues more quickly than previously conceivable, without the need for specialized knowledge or the use of harmful chemicals.

Luciferin analogues emit luminescence at diverse wavelengths, allowing for the simultaneous detection of several target molecules.

Among the results were two previously discovered luciferin analogues. One of them emits brighter light with a longer wavelength than the original, allowing it to enter cells and tissues more effectively.

LUMOS (Luminescence Measurement of Organophosphate and Derivatives), an organophosphate detection technique based on HELP, consists of three reaction steps:

First, an enzyme from soil bacteria breaks down the organophosphate insecticides and/or their metabolites into phenol derivatives.

Second, via the HELP reaction, these compounds are transformed into luciferin analogues.

Finally, using firefly luciferase, the luciferin derivatives generate bioluminescence signals, and the wavelengths may be utilized to distinguish between different organophosphate pesticides, such as parathion, methyl parathion, EPN, profenofos, and fenitrothion.

Also Read: For the First Time in 100 Years, a New Species of Firefly Is Found in Singapore!

Dangers of pesticides

According to Nature, even if pesticides are sprayed on land, they may often find their way into a body of water, such as a river, ocean, or pond.

Pesticides from an orchid, for example, may wind up in a neighbouring stream owing to runoff.

Fish and other creatures may die or become ill if a body of water becomes poisoned with the pollutants. This has the potential to upset the entire ecology.

Pesticides can also have an impact on groundwater through a process known as leeching.

Many people rely on groundwater for their drinking water, but if that water contains pesticides, it is filthy and dangerous to consume.

Furthermore, pesticides can spread and create possible damage through volatilization.

Volatilization happens when a pesticide, after being applied, transforms into a gas or vapoura, allowing it to move through the air and spread to various areas of land.

This can be hazardous to species, particularly frogs.

Some experts even believe that the chemical atrazine causes reproductive issues in frogs, affecting the frog's fundamental purpose of survival and reproduction.

Related article: What Gives Fireflies Their Nighttime Glow?