Glowing, biofluorescent fish originated over a hundred million years ago
Biofluorescence is where a living organism can absorb light before letting it out again. The result is the creatures seem to glow with different colours and even patterns. It is different to bioluminescence which is when the creatures create the light inside themselves and so can glow in total darkness. The researchers produced a list of 459 biofluorescent species, including 48 species that were not previously known to be biofluorescent.They also estimated the biofluorescence dated back about 112 million years, with the first instance happening in eels.The team also found that fish species that live in or around coral reefs evolve biofluorescence faster than those that live outside of the reef. Most of the species studied were associated with coral reefs.
The researchers found there was a sharp increase in glowing species after the dinosaurs became extinct 66 million years ago.This was also when there was a rise of modern coral-dominated reefs which the study authors say could explain the sudden surge of biofluorescence.For the second study, published in PLOS One, the scientists looked at fish they already knew were biofluorescent under special lights.The researchers were surprised by the range of colours with some species giving out several colours and patterns.
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Where the research goes next There is a registered clinical trial in the US that is investigating senescence in long-COVID. Our consortium is testing new ways to spot signs of ageing in the cells that line our blood vessels. First, we expose healthy endothelial cells in the lab to blood from patients to see whether it pushes the cells into a senescent, or 'zombie,' state. At the same time, we are trialling non‑invasive imaging and fluorescent probes that could one day reveal these ageing cells inside the body. In selected cases, tissue biopsies may later confirm what the scans show. Together, these approaches aim to pinpoint how substances circulating in the blood drive cellular ageing and how that, in turn, fuels disease. Our aim is simple: find these ageing endothelial cells in real patients. Pinpointing them will inform the next round of clinical trials and open the door to therapies that target senescent cells directly, offering a route to healthier blood vessels and, ultimately, lighter disease loads.
