LLUVIA DE NUBES BLANCAS...deep isn't it?

$afracturedreality: scienceisbeauty (via the UC San Diego TTO Newsletter): Tubes of various fluorescent proteins displayed in a box with UV light shining on them. The first fluorescent protein to be discovered, purified, and characterized was a green fluorescent protein (GFP) found in the bioluminescent organs of Aequorea victoria, a specie of jellyfish.1 Since then, almost half a century later, researchers have engineered a vast number of variously colored mutant GFPs, fusion proteins, and biosensors for the direct investigation of cellular processes. Fluorescent proteins from other species have also been identified and isolated, thereby adding more colors to the current palette.2, 3 Of particular interest in recent years is the aim to develop far-red and near-infrared fluorescent probes. In mammalian cells, both autofluorescence and the absorption of light are greatly reduced towards the red end of the spectrum. Thus, the development of far-red fluorescent probes would be extremely useful for the examination of thick specimens and entire animals. As fluorescent protein technology evolves, almost any biological parameter will be measurable with the appropriate fluorescent protein-based probe.3 References: (1) Osamu Shimomura et al., Journal of Cellular Physiology; (2) Gert-Jan Kremers et al., Journal of Cell Science; (3) Nikon MicroscopyU. Photo credit: Roger Tsien’s lab at the University of California, San Diego in La Holla, California, USA.$

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