#vibrio fischeri

[microbes-in-hats]

Vibrio fischeri

These bacteria are bioluminescent, and their symbiotic relationship with certain marine animals, such as the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid, is what gives the animals their bioluminescence.

Photo credit: Dennis Kunkel (Microscopy/Science Photo Library)

[probablyasocialecologist]

A tiny Hawaiian squid, Euprymna scolopes, has become a model for thinking about this process. The “bob-tailed squid” is known for its light organ, through which it mimics moonlight, hiding its shadow from predators. But juvenile squid do not develop this organ unless they come into contact with one particular species of bacteria, Vibrio fischeri. The squid are not born with these bacteria; they must encounter them in the seawater. Without them, the light organ never develops. But perhaps you think light organs are superfluous. Consider the parasitic wasp Asobara tabida. Females are completely unable to produce eggs without bacteria of the genus Wolbachia. Meanwhile, larvae of the Large Blue butterfly Maculinea arion are unable to survive without being taken in by an ant colony. Even we proudly independent humans are unable to digest our food without helpful bacteria, first gained as we slide out of the birth canal. Ninety percent of the cells in a human body are bacteria. We can’t do without them.

As biologist Scott Gilbert and his colleagues write, “Almost all development may be codevelopment. By codevelopment we refer to the ability of the cells of one species to assist the normal construction of the body of another species.” This insight changes the unit of evolution. Some biologists have begun to speak of the “hologenome theory of evolution,” referring to the complex of organisms and their symbionts as an evolutionary unit: the “holobiont.” They find, for example, that associations between particular bacteria and fruit flies influence fruit fly mating choice, thus shaping the road to the development of a new species. To add the importance of development, Gilbert and his colleagues use the term “symbiopoiesis,” the codevelopment of the holobiont. The term contrasts their findings with an earlier focus on life as internally self-organizing systems, self-formed through “autopoiesis.” “More and more,” they write, “symbiosis appears to be the ‘rule,’ not the exception. . . . Nature may be selecting ‘relationships’ rather than individuals or genomes.”

Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins

[eddieintheocean]

Can you explain your Vibero fisheri tag on that bobtail squid pic? :O

bobtail luminescence comes from the bacteria Vibrio fisheri !!

its quite a common bacteria in the sea in general, but in bobtail squid they live in light organs in the skin and through something called quorum sensing (and luciferase oxidation reactions) they emit light!

this is actually. helpful studying for one of my modules but essentially, quorum sensing is a way for bacteria to communicate that there are enough of them around to start glowing.

things like flashlight fish (Photoblepharon sp) do this too! they have pigmented lids to regulate and hide the light, since the bacteria only know "more friends = glow" and nothing more complicated.

(x)

[fourteen--steps]

Rapid fire Fishuary part 2!

Day 8 - Seahorse

The bullneck seahorse (Hippocampus minotaur) is a pygmy seahorse that has never been found alive in the wild. The only known handful of specimens were gathered from relatively deep waters off the coast of Australia.

Day 9 - Ray

Baby stingray! I couldn't find an original source for the reference I used (only realized this after I already did the drawing 😑) so I'm not entirely sure what species it is.

Day 10 - Symbiotic relationship

I chose the relationship between Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and the bacteria Vibrio fischeri. V. fischeri is naturally bioluminescent. It colonizes the epithelia in the bobtail squid's special light organ, where the squid uses the light emissions to camouflage itself with moonlit water.

Day 11 - Deep sea fish

Sea toad my beloved.... Chaunacops melanostomus

Day 12 - Small fish

Paedocypris progenetica is the smallest known freshwater fish at a mature length of 7.9 mm. Eeensy beensy

[vyrim]

Vibraura is a broad term, coined by scientists to mean various, multicolored beings that use bio-luminescence, similiar to the use of Vibrio fischeri. During first exploration, however, it was also coined when said reseachers thought, "wow there sure are alot of weird glowing things just wandering around the Bathypelagic Zone"

This and similar comments made at the time were kept away from their offical reports.

[a-being-of-pure-vitriol]

got bored in my biotech course. now culturing vibrio fischeri bc idk. glowy bacteria is neat and it was available.

[msburgundy]

firefly romanticizers, you MUST become acquainted with Vibrio harveyi and Aliivibrio fischeri

[ravioliet]

hello yes. can you tell me about bobtail squid? :3

yes yes of course :D

so the species that i know the most about is the Hawaiian bobtail squid, and i think they're really cool because they have some neat forms of camouflage. so basically they're nocturnal and come out of hiding at night to feed, and they are very small little guys so to hide from predators they've adapted to have a symbiotic relationship with a specific species of bioluminescent bacteria (it's called Vibrio fischeri btw) which they allow to live in a special light organ they have and provide them with food, and in return they use the light produced by the bacteria for a camouflage method called counter-illumination where they produce the exact amount of light needed to match the background of their environment which hides their silhouette and makes them appear nearly invisible from below, and there are a few different sea creatures that also do this but i just think it's really really cool that they can do that. spell of squid invisibility

and then also the symbiotic relationship between the squid and the bacteria is very interesting to me as well because having a relationship with bacteria that produces light for you is actually really common in the ocean (it's known as symbiotic bioluminescence), but bobtail squid specifically have been really important in the research of symbiosis and microbiomes and how organisms can evolve alongside each other because unlike most other similar organisms the bobtail squid only has this relationship with one specific species of bacteria and no others so it's easier to control the variables when researching and stuff

also they're just really really cute like look at this guy. i love cephalopods

[jetsonlime]

The bobtail squid is a little squid that is about 1 inch long and lives in the Pacific Ocean. Each squid has a symbiotic relationship with its own colony of bioluminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri). The bacteria live in the squid's light organ and provide a bioluminescent glow. The squid uses this glow to camouflage itself from predators and prey by matching the brightness of the night sky above it, hiding its silhouette (counterillumination).

please please never stop being annoying about that one thing you really care about

[dailyanarchistposts]

Vulnerability & Interdependence

The “bob-tailed” squid is known for its light organ, through which it mimics moonlight, hiding its shadow from predators. But juvenile squid do not develop this organ unless they come into contact with one particular species of bacteria, Vibrio fischeri. The squid are not born with these bacteria; they must encounter them in the seawater. Without them, the light organ never develops. But perhaps you think light organs are superfluous. Consider the parasitic wasp Asobara tabida. Females are completely unable to produce eggs without bacteria of the genus Wolbachia. Meanwhile, larvae of the Large Blue butterfly Maculinea arion are unable to survive without being taken in by an ant colony.[16]

Interdependence is a fact of our lives, but a fact that capitalism obscures through alienation and stories of self-containment. Interdependence is a web of messy necessities that humans, animals, and biological ecosystems build together. Interdependence isn’t necessarily good or bad, it just is. Interdependence can be scary because it means we need others: other people, other animals, other plants, other ecosystems, and maybe other solar systems. Interdependence is a form of vulnerability. We cannot meet all of our needs on our own. Interdependence just is, but how we relate to it can change. How we navigate interdependence says a lot about our political maps.

[i-talk-about-plants-to-strangers]

I'm trying to finish a post about cacti but for now...

BIOLUMINESCENCE IN PLANTS!

Unfortunately, no plants, as far as we're aware, naturally display autogenic bioluminescence. Which sucks. Closest thing is probably some dinoflagellates that can glow. So if you've ever seen those videos of glowing waves, that's prolly what it was. Or like. vibrio fischeri.

So why am I talking about bioluminescence on my plant blog if plants don't do it? Well, look no further than the sheer gibberish I'm about to spout.

THE SCIENCE GIBBERISH HOUR IS UPON US:

Bioluminescence is caused by the catalyzation of a luciferin (a light emitting chemical) and oxygen by luciferase with some other stuff typically producing oxyluciferase and light, accompanied by various other biproducts depending on what luciferin is involved. It's weird and chemistry stuff but neat.

Bioluminescent fungi use this thing called the caffeic acid cycle to synthesize luciferin. I don't want to even try to approach explaining the chemistry in detail right now but here's a diagram I found:

But why am I talking about fungi on the plant rant account? Plants actually also produce caffeic acid (it's in a lot of foods actually, has antioxidant properties).

So essentially, people have taken the system that makes caffeic acid in plants and altered it to actually be able to do autoluminance! GLOWING PLANTS!!

I love this research and I've been reading up on it this whole year, so likely more talking about this some point in the future. Hopefully some of that was relatively coherent.

[sciencestyled]

Painting with Glowworms and Other Illuminating Nonsense: How Bioluminescent Bacteria Might Just Replace Your Childhood Crayons

Bioluminescence—the latest art craze that makes those glow-in-the-dark stars we plastered on our ceilings as kids look like, well, trash. I can see the confusion on your faces already. Yes, I’m talking about organisms, actual living beings, that emit light. You’re probably wondering, “Wait, what? Do we slap a few jellyfish onto a canvas and call it art?” Oh, ye of little imagination. But don’t worry, your intellectual horizons—currently resembling a TikTok video on loop—are about to expand dramatically.

Picture this: artists are no longer constrained by mere paint or charcoal; they are reaching for the stuff of nature’s nightlights—bioluminescent bacteria. That’s right, living, glowing creatures are becoming the Picasso’s new palette, replacing those mundane tubes of burnt sienna. Trust me, after this lecture, you’ll never look at the sea or your fridge mold the same way again.

So, what exactly is this bioluminescence I keep flaunting like it’s the latest Supreme drop? Well, to put it simply—because clearly, you need that—bioluminescence is a chemical reaction where organisms like jellyfish, fungi, and certain bacteria produce light. And not just any light, mind you. This is the kind of light that makes fireflies look like they belong in a middle school science fair. We're talking about the natural glow that ignites the deep sea, that underwater rave you didn’t even know existed.

Now, if you’re still struggling to keep up—and I know you are—imagine bioluminescence as Mother Nature’s own rave party, complete with glow sticks. Marine life like Photobacterium phosphoreum or Vibrio fischeri are out there, doing their thing, lighting up the dark in a way that your iPhone flashlight could only dream of. But here’s the kicker: artists have decided that these little critters belong on a canvas, and that’s where we jump headfirst into this fantastically bizarre world of bioluminescence in brushstrokes.

Of course, you’re all probably thinking, “Isn’t this just one step away from commissioning a YouTube channel to live-stream the growth of bioluminescent E. coli?” Well, congratulations, you’re only about 10% correct, which, given your track record, is frankly impressive.

Let’s start with the basics: biology in the studio. This isn’t your regular art class where you smugly compare brushstrokes with the person next to you while pretending you know who Rothko is. No, here, we’re dealing with living organisms, like bioluminescent bacteria, as tools. And before you even ask: no, you can’t just scrape a few moldy leftovers from your fridge and call it bioluminescence. Though, given your kitchen hygiene, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve been harboring an entire ecosystem of glowing organisms this whole time.

Anyway, artists have started using real bioluminescent bacteria, the kind that doesn’t just sit in a petri dish but thrives and glows under specific conditions. Think of it as Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” if the stars were, in fact, glowing colonies of bacteria that pulsated under UV light. Honestly, if Vincent were alive today, he’d probably be throwing out all his oil paints and screaming, “Where’s my bacterial glow palette?!”

And yes, it’s every bit as gross and fascinating as you’re imagining.

One artist, whose name you’ve definitely never heard of but will now pretend you’ve known for years, used bioluminescent marine bacteria to create live installations. Picture a room entirely dark, except for a massive, glowing mural on the wall, painted by bacteria that are quite literally alive and thriving as they illuminate the space. It’s as if someone took your weird aquarium nightlight obsession and decided to get all artsy-fartsy with it. So, what happens when the bacteria die, you ask? Well, much like the Kardashians’ relevance, their light eventually fades. A gentle reminder that all art, much like life, is fleeting. How’s that for a philosophical mic drop?

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, or rather, the pulsating, glowing blob of bacteria. Some of you—those clinging to a moral compass as if it’s not utterly broken by now—might wonder if using living organisms for art is, I don’t know, unethical. And to that, I say: relax. It’s not like anyone is strapping a bioluminescent octopus to a canvas and forcing it to reenact The Last Supper. Although, now that I mention it, that would be a fantastic art piece.

But sure, let’s entertain your ethical quandary for a second. Is it wrong to harness the glow of bacteria for art? Well, if you’re the type who thinks it’s cruel to use bioluminescence, perhaps you should sit down with your vegan friends and debate whether photosynthesis is exploitation of plants. But, I digress. The point is, using bacteria in art is no more unethical than, say, using acrylic paints, except that these tiny light-up critters add an extra layer of life, quite literally, to the canvas. Honestly, it’s art and science holding hands, skipping off into the sunset together.

Besides, it’s 2024, folks—if we’re not painting with bacteria, then what are we even doing? How else will you make a statement on TikTok that says, “I’m both scientifically literate and artistically woke”?

Now, before you spiral into an identity crisis, let’s talk logistics. How does one paint with bioluminescent bacteria? Well, for starters, it’s not like dipping a brush in a glowing vat of E. coli. There’s a delicate process involved, one that requires nurturing the bacteria in petri dishes, waiting for them to reach their glowing potential (much like some of you waiting for that ‘aha!’ moment in this lecture). Once they’re ready, they’re carefully applied to a surface—sometimes with a brush, sometimes using more high-tech methods like laser projectors. It’s not exactly finger painting, people. It’s more like orchestrating a bacterial rave on canvas.

The art world is already saturated with installations where bacteria thrive, illuminating the surroundings. These are not just stagnant pieces hanging in a gallery; they’re living, evolving, and in some cases, dying right before your eyes. The work becomes a commentary on life itself—the transience, the fragility, and, yes, even the weird beauty of death. Like watching a Kardashian PR disaster unfold in real-time.

This leads us, inevitably, to the deep reflection you’ve been avoiding. What does it all mean? What profound message is encoded in the fleeting glow of bioluminescent art? Well, if you’re waiting for me to tell you, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. The real question is: Does art lose its meaning when its medium has a life span? Can you call a piece immortal if its very material is destined to die out?

I can see your confused expressions, and honestly, it’s adorable. You’re clinging to those last vestiges of understanding like a YouTube channel desperate for subscribers. But fear not! Here’s your takeaway: bioluminescence is more than just a cool scientific phenomenon. It’s an entirely new way to blend science education and art, creating a living masterpiece where the line between creation and creature is blurred. It’s a rebellion against everything you thought you knew about brushes and canvases. And yes, in case you missed it, it’s a glorious middle finger to conventional art.

So, next time you’re in an art gallery and see a glowing mural, resist the urge to call it “weird.” Instead, take a moment to appreciate the fusion of biology and artistry, where life itself becomes the medium. And if you still don’t get it, don’t worry—you weren’t really expected to.

[illarian-rambling]

As a microbe nerd, I can safely say that a healthy dose of germaphobia is rarely a bad thing lol. If you don't like the pathogenic stuff though, there are a ton of cool non-harmful microbes out there - most are non-harmful, even. If you'd like to learn a bit more about some of those, I'll put my top three non-harmful microbes under the cut - my littlest of buddies - but if those weird you out, no problem and no pressure, I wish you and your hand sanitizer the best (:

3. Vibrio fischeri: It took a while for me to come around to this one, but its whole life's work is to make squids glow. How cute is that?? Generations of the stuff live for a single night within the squid, allowing it to glow with the bacteria's bioluminescence, before getting washed away come morning, then regrowing from tiny residual scraps the next night. They can also "talk" to each other to coordinate their glow. They're a girl group dance squad in my heart. Bobtail squid and its squad for you (:

2. Pseudomonas pudita: She's a tough little bastard, she's safe to play with, she can live on caffeine (just like me fr), she fights plant pathogens, and she can eat styrofoam like it's nothing. Want to clean up some soil? P. Pudita is your gal. Want to turn caffeine into medicine? She's got you. AND she glows so pretty under UV <3

Escherichia coli: Now, okay, I know some E. coli can be pathogenic, just like some mice can shit in your house while others can make cute pets. Mice is a good analogy because E. coli is the true lab rat of microbial research. You can play with its genes to where it produces almost anything. Products made from E. coli include insulin, treatments for leukemia and other cancers, treatments for heart failure, for osteoporosis, for hepatitis, and for rheumatoid arthritis. If it's a biopharmaceutical, it simply does not get made without E. coli helping out somewhere in the mix, if not outright enabling mass production. It's the workhorse of the industry. Modern medicine simply wouldn't be what it was without it - all because it's just so damn easy to genetically modify and grow. From a health angle, there's E. coli in your microbiome right now and it plays a huge role in keeping you healthy. Namely, it outcompetes all the bad stuff but just... being better. Goated, if you will. It makes vitamin K and B12, as well as helping you digest food. Overwhelmingly, E. coli makes people's lives better in so many ways that outweigh the occasional food poisoning. I will be an E. coli lover forever and always, my misunderstood and underappreciated queen <33

Annnnnd bonus round because radiolarians aren't bacteria but they are cool as shit regardless

If you did indeed make it through this, do keep your fear of germs, that's an eminently reasonable thing to have, however, I hope I could bring a little light to the friendly microbes around us too (:

From an equally bored microbe nerd who saw the game you reblogged - top 5 bacteria? 🫶

…I know absolutely NOTHING about bacteria and have a horrible fear of germs I think you asked the wrong guy this 😭

1. The one that are nowhere near me

2. The ones that aren’t harmful

3. The ones I can’t see hear smell taste feel sense whatever

4. THE ONES FAR AWAY FROM ME

5. Uh. Whichever ones you like friend :3

[sarahmackattack]

So how do hawaiian bobtail squids select their bacterial partners?

I have a doodle from years ago just for this question!

So when bobtails first hatch, they don't have the bioluminescent bacteria they need to blend in with moonlight coming from above.

Making light is super energetically expensive, so they don't want to make light if they don't have to. They wait until as a group they can produce enough light to be useful for the squid.

[microbiofacts]

Aliivibrio fischeri: the glowy bois providing camouflage for a tropical squid

Found in warm ocean waters throughout the world, A. fischeri provides a source of bioillumination for an array of marine life. They also serve as a model organism, studied as a key example of bioluminescence and symbiotic relationships between bacteria and a host animal.

Image taken by E Nelson and L Sycuro, the Vibrio fischeri Genome Project

Free-living A. fischeri are lysotrophs, meaning they release chemicals that break down decaying matter in their surroundings, then reabsorb the nutrients. But here we’ll be looking at symbiotic A. fischeri, mainly those found in the Hawaiian bobtail squid. A. fischeri live in the squid’s photophore, a light gland in their skin, and help the squid by producing counter illumination: the bacteria help the squid by matching the light from the surface, so predators below don’t notice.

While inside the photophores, A. fischeri survives on a cocktail of sugar and amino acids that the squid produces. Since A. fischeri is solely a lysotroph, it relies on consuming carbon from organic sources since it can’t photosynthesize like a plant for example. It's capable of both aerobic and anaerobic respiration, meaning it can use oxygen for respiration, but can also use other chemicals such as trimethylamine N-oxide, commonly found in marine settings, even in the squid’s tissues. A. fischeri uses different types of respiration depending on whether or not it's in the squid, opting for mainly aerobic when it's free living and switching to anaerobic after its entered. 

A. fischeri glows because it contains a special operon; a group of genes that code for a single strand of messenger RNA, that is then translated into multiple proteins. This operon, called Lux, carries the instructions for quorum-sensing, luciferase, fatty acid reductase, and flavin oxidoreductase. Quorum-sensing is a way that bacteria communicate, in this case helping A. fischeri detect when there are many of itself around it. The first two genes in the operon, LuxR and LuxI are in charge of quorum sensing. As A. fischeri multiples, LuxI codes for the production of a molecule called an autoinducer which is released into the cell’s surroundings. As the concentration of the autoinducer goes up, it activates LuxR, which is the gene that regulates the transcription of the rest of the operon. Now, LuxA and LuxB are transcribed and translated into two proteins that bind together to form luciferase. The rest of the operon, LuxC-G, is transcribed in response to this, and we get fatty acid reductase, and flavin oxidoreductase, that both react with luciferase to create photons, the source of A. fischeri’s glow. 

As a recap, LuxI produces molecules and when there's enough of them LuxR activates the rest of the genes, LuxA and LuxB coding for one enzyme, LuxC through LuxG coding for two more, and when the second two react with the first the chemical reaction gives off light. Interestingly enough, the Hawaiian bobtail squid can regulate how much light it gives off by changing the concentration of A. fischeri in it’s light organ. It does this by expelling the bacteria or providing less or more nutrients to affect how fast it multiplies. In theory, A. fischeri’s access to a diverse set of lifestyles allows it to remain living independently of a host organism, furthering its chances of survival.

For further, much more scientific reading check out:

Dunn, Anne K. "Vibrio fischeri metabolism: symbiosis and beyond." Advances in microbial physiology 61 (2012): 37-68.

Miyashiro, Tim, and Edward G. Ruby. "Shedding light on bioluminescence regulation in Vibrio fischeri." Molecular microbiology 84.5 (2012): 795-806.

[fresherbrine]