Unexpected bond-breaking order reveals a new path to bioluminescence

The dancing lights of fireflies and the eerie blue sparkle in crashing waves get their glow when a molecular square of carbon and oxygen atoms breaks. New research from Stanford University has shown that mechanical force can cause that break to happen in a way different from what was previously known. The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, has implications for developing light sensors and understanding luminescence in nature.