“Brainbow” transgenic mouse hippocampus (40x)
by Dr. Tamily Weissman
by Dr. Tamily Weissman
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
“Brainbow” mouse brain stem with auditory pathway axons (40x)
by Dr. Jean Livet
Institut de la Vision, INSERM U592 and UPMC, Paris, France
Most microscopic pictures of cells, insects and small organisms can be scientifically interesting, even from time to time reasonably appealing. However, when I came across these microscopic pictures of neurons, I wondered if someone dropped gallons of paint on some poor mice’s brains…or if some artist “photoshoped” these pictures. I soon realized that these pictures meant much more than eye candy to my visual pathways. Curiosity derived me here:
Approximately a year ago, a very glowing new discovery was made by Osamu Shimomura (Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) Woods Hole, MA, USA), Martin Chalfie (Columbia University, New York, NY, USA) and Roger Y. Tsien (University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute) who share this year’s Chemistry Nobel Prize: the discovery and use of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP).
The GFP was first found in the jellyfish Aequorea, which is responsible for the green fluorescent color this animal has.
Approximately a year ago, a very glowing new discovery was made by Osamu Shimomura (Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) Woods Hole, MA, USA), Martin Chalfie (Columbia University, New York, NY, USA) and Roger Y. Tsien (University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute) who share this year’s Chemistry Nobel Prize: the discovery and use of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP).
The GFP was first found in the jellyfish Aequorea, which is responsible for the green fluorescent color this animal has.
(from http://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/Haseloff/imaging/GFP/GFPbackgrnd.html)
Thus, if we join the gene of this protein with any gene of the protein of interest, then the GFP can be used as a tracer for this protein since it is fluorescent. Furthermore, a new technique developed at Harvard University last year by the team of Jeff W. Lichtman and Joshua R. Sanes now permits neuroscientists to add many different variants of this GFP’s gene in the desired neurons’ genetic configuration and basically observe the turning on and off of the proteins as they color these cells at random in different hues. The older technique allowed for the mapping of only a few neurons at the time which limited research in the area. Thus, besides making the most amazing pictures of neurons, this new technique of making brainbows is a major breakthrough in neuroscience research.
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For more amazing microscopic pictures, take the time to look at: http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/gallery.php
For more information on the Chemistry Nobel Prizes, please visit: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2008/index.html
For more on this new technique, take a look at: http://www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/GFP-1.htm
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