Significant advances have been made in the characterization of luciferases and other lux-specific proteins as well as the lux genes from a number of different species of marine and terrestrial luminescent bacteria.Isolation of the lux genes and the ability to transfer these genes into prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms have greatly expanded the scope and potential uses of bacterial bioluminescence as a safe, rapid, and sensitive sensor for a wide variety of compounds and metabolic processes.--Meighen, E. A. Bacterial bioluminescence: organization, regulation, and application of the lux genes.