BIOLUMINESCENCE AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL

Bioluminescent assay is one of the most efficient but yet insufficiently used tools of enlightenment and education. The didactic value of bioluminescence is that it can be used to transform many biological processes into light. This provides an opportunity to observe them visually or measure them with photometric instruments. Bioluminescence can be regarded as an attractive educational tool owing to a psycho-physical human feature: we receive more than 80% information through our eyes. Living light has a special emotional attraction—experiments with bioluminescence make a deep impression on students. To realize and use the potential of bioluminescence in education and enlightenment, the luminometer must become as widely used at school and universities as are the microscope and the computer.
This assertion is based on the many opportunities provided by the application of bioluminescence in education. Luminous organisms have the methodological advantage (not duly appreciated yet) due to the fact that light is one of the final products of their metabolism. Specific enzymes systems convert the energy of the associated oxidation reactions into the light of visible spectra. For this frequency range, physics has at its disposal extremely sensitive - up to individual quanta - fast acting and relatively simple devices, available for ordinary high schools. Scientists have developed a unique technology which allows bioluminescent organisms and their luciferases to be maintained in containers for a long periods of time.
The lecture and practical courses based on bioluminescence have been developed. They have the demonstration methods, experimental and laboratory work, vividly showing by bioluminescence, basic manifestations of life at molecular, biochemical, physiological and ecological levels to be used in the course of teaching in high and higher school. This will afford wide use of visual aids in biology and to allow students to appreciate not only the modern state of research in the world, but also scientific principles and values, and to arouse their interest in the work without assistance.
All developed practical courses consist of the following parts: 1.The acquaintance with luminous organisms and bioluminescence. 2.The acquaintance with bioluminescent methods, bioluminescent kits of reagents, bioluminometer and other laboratory techniques. 3. The simple educational experiments with luminous objects according to the Practical Course Manual to show the examples of scientific experiments and prepare the students for their own scientific researches. 4.Every student should make their own scientific experiments using bioluminescent techniques. 5. The scientific conference, where the results of student’s research are presented and discussed.
Practical courses are usually developed for different levels of education. So there are several variants of one practical course which are suitable for children from 7 to 15, children from 15 to 17, students from 1 to 2 and 3 to 6 years of study and post-graduate students. Special practical courses are intended for the school teachers and for the education of adults.
The bioluminescent reactions can be used to demonstrate or measure biological processes in the following fields of biology: human and animal physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; ecology; toxicology; immunology; cytology; physical chemistry; embryology; plant physiology etc.