What is GFP???
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) is protein which exhibits bright green fluorescence when exposed to blue light. Many marine organisms have similar green fluorescent proteins, but GFP traditionally refers to the protein first isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria.In Aequorea victoria a protein called aequorin releases blue light upon binding with calcium and this blue light is then absorbed by the GFP, which in turn gives off the green light,which is what we actually see when the jellyfish lights up.Generally solutions of GFP looks yellow under room lights, but in presence of sunlight,the protein absorbs ultraviolet light from sun and then emits it as lower-energy green light.
Why we are bothered about this green protein from jelly fish???
Normally proteins are not visible in microscope but they can be visualised when tagged with GFP. So when the proteins are linked with GFP ,they absorb blue or UV light and then glows green ,allowing you to observe how these proteins function in the cell.,when they are made and where they go.GFP is considered as the microscope of the twenty-first century.
Some interesting links for GFP:
Green fluorescent protein
Wikipedia page for GFP
GFP page on Protein data Bank
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The GFP ? The best way to see the life in green !
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