Isolation, Characterization and Identification of Bioluminescent Bacteria from Indian Squid (Uroteuthis duvaucelii)

Bioluminescence, the capacity of living creatures to produce light through chemical processes, has been a topic of scientific fascination for many years. Bioluminescence is of great importance in the marine environment, since it facilitates diverse ecological interactions. Bioluminescent bacteria establish symbiotic partnerships with marine creatures, such as squids, octopus, dinoflagellets, various fishes like anglerfishes, etc. In order to use bioluminescent bacteria as a biosensor, the samples of Indian Squid were gathered from local fish market located in Ganesh Peth and Camp area of Pune district, Maharashtra. This study was performed to isolate and characterize potential bioluminescent bacteria which can be used as biosensors in food and brewing industry for food analysis. In this study, 608 colonies with blue color and 873 colonies with green color bioluminescence were isolated from Indian squid using sea water agar. The bacterial strains AB28 and ABG67 were selected for further analysis, which required comparing them with the information provided in Bergerys handbook for their characterization. Additionally, their identification was carried out using 16S rRNA. The bioluminescent strains that were isolated and identified were Shewanella seohaensis and Shewanella hafniensis, respectively.