Snail shells that amplify bioluminescence

Hinea brasiliana - courtesy of The Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Remember when I discussed various genetic monstrosities (cue maniacal laughter) in my last post?  Here is one we don’t even have to create because Mother Nature has done a pretty remarkable job already (She is the ORIGINAL biopunk!).  Check out this link that describes some research out of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (link).  In an article published last December (see below) they describe a unique bioluminescent snail (Hinea brasiliana) found off of Australia.  The fact that this thing glows is somewhat unusual, but how it achieves the effect is quite cool.  When the snail encounters something dangerous (a predator, a diver’s foot, a sinking ship, etc) it activates a luminous display on its body in an effort to scare the threat away.  To do this, the light must be activated in such a way that it is emitted from the shell (ie, be visible to the predator).  What is remarkable is that even though the shell is opaque and colored, only the wavelength of light from the bioluminescent signal is selectively diffused.  Even more amazing is that the shell acts as an amplifier, so that the snail appears larger than it really is! 

Obviously, trying to understand the properties of the shell and how this material specifically diffuses and amplifies the bioluminescence has broad implications in commercial development of better optical materials (fiber-optics, perhaps?).  But, can you imagine engineering these properties into the leaves or bark of a tree?  Or into specific areas on your wall or ceiling?  Soft, energy efficient lighting with little or no pollution.  Understanding and replicating this phenomenon seems like a ripe area for garage scientists.  How about a science fair project looking at the transmission of light through this (and other) shells as a function of wavelength?  Is the shell acting like a filter? A lens?  What is the chemical and structural composition of the shell? Do small pores allow the selective diffusion of light? Does the light transmit backwards through the shell?  Do related species of snails transmit different wavelengths of light?  Is the light really amplified or is it just an illusion?  Maybe it’s time to pop into the Dark Lab and answer some of these questions…

Reference: 

Deheyn D. and Wilson N., Bioluminescent signals spatially amplified by wavelength-specific diffusion through the shell of a marine snail. Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences), Dec 15 2010.