Detection of TBT by the bioluminescent bacterium Escherichia coli TBT3
Detecting dibutyl and tribulyltin by means of a bacterial bioassay: application to the control of antifouling paints

Bioluminescence is the natural production of light by living organisms. These organisms include a number of bacterial species, most of them marine. The reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme luciferase. In the presence of oxygen, this enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of a long-chain aldehyde and reduced flavin mononucleotide (FMNH ₂ ) to fatty acid and FMN. This reaction is accompanied by the emission of light at 490 nm and 590 nm as shown in figure