Luciferase

Luciferase is a type of enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of a substrate molecule luciferin, and oxygen into light, carbon dioxide, and oxyluciferin. It has been extensively used in research involving bioluminescence and is widely used in the development of analytical tools and techniques, such as real-time quantitative PCR and ELISA. Luciferase is also important in understanding how light helps regulate certain biological processes, such as circadian rhythms and gene expression. Furthermore, luciferase is also used in medical research, such as in the replacement of defective genes, or in the tracking of gene expression in cancer cells.