Autonome Lichtproduktion in Bakterien mit optimiertem ilux-Operon

Bioluminescence emission allows the direct visualization of living cells without external light. Its generation usually requires addition of a luciferin, except for bacterial bioluminescence with the lux operon where synthesis and recycling of the luciferin are performed by enzymatic reactions in the cell. An improved ilux operon produces brighter bioluminescence and enables autonomous bioluminescence imaging with increased sensitivity, allowing the observation of single Escherichia coli cells.