John Sparks

John Sparks, curator in the American Museum of Natural History’s Department of Ichthyology, and David Gruber, associate professor of biology at Baruch College and a research associate at the AMNH, discuss a recent study that found widespread biofluorescence in fishes, identifying more than 180 species that glow in a wide range of colors and patterns. Published in PLOS ONE, the  report looks at why so many marine species emit light. They'll talk about how the research may lead to the discovery of new fluorescent proteins that could be used in biomedical research.

John Sparks, associate curator and curator-in-charge, department of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, and David Gruber, assistant professor at the City University of New York and a research associate at the museum, discuss the variety of bioluminescent organisms—from fungus to dinoflagellates to jellyfish—and explain the various ways they glow, the functions of bioluminescence, and how scientists study it. The exhibition Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence is on view at the American Museum of Natural History through January 6, 2013.