A professor is to give an illuminating lecture into the mysteries of the Bermuda Glow Worm and how marine organisms can contribute to the world of medicine and science.

Dr. Dimitri Deheyn, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is to talk on bioluminescence in marine organisms and their role in biomedicine, biotechnology and as an environmental quality biomarker.

Dr. Deheyn is a Project Scientist at the Scripps Institution, which is based at the University of California San Diego, and is originally from Belgium, where he studied at the Free University of Brussels. The lecture takes place at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) this Thursday.

Bioluminescence can take different forms, from long glows to intense flashes, and various colours, from blue-green to orange-red. The light can be used for a variety of purposes, from attracting a prey or sexual partner, to deterring predators.

Although most research is associated with deep sea creatures, many marine organisms in shallow waters also produce light, which can be visible at night along the coastline. A local example of this is the Bermuda Glow Worm, or Fireworm.

Dr. Deheyn said: "In this lecture, I will report on examples of luminous organisms and will take you through the exploration of the ecology – the 'whys' associated with their light production. Why do some marine worms, Brittle Stars or marine snails produce light, and how do they do this?

"This fundamental understanding on the light production is fascinating, but also useful for further applications of human interests, for example in biomedicine and biotechnology."

At the BIOS lecture Dr. Deheyn will review some of the uses of this biological light in molecular biology, where light production can work as a 'bioreporter' for cell activity, allowing us for example, to localise disease in the human body.

"I will also address the use of light production in environmental science, which is one of the main topics of my current research," he said.

"Indeed, I use the change of light production in luminous organisms as a biomarker for change in environmental quality, which leads to a better assessment of the physiological health of organisms living along our constantly challenged coastlines."

Dr. Deheyn's lecture takes place in Hanson Hall at BIOS at 7 p.m. on Thursday. There will be a cash bar at 6.30 p.m. Admission is $15, with discounts for members. RSVP Vanessa Shorto at vanessa.shorto@bios.edu">vanessa.shorto@bios.edu or telephone 297 1880, ext. 204, for tickets.