2008 Noble Peace Prize
Green fluorescent proteins
Osamu Shimomura
Born: 27 August 1928, Kyoto, Japan
Affiliation at the time of the award: Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, MA, USA, Boston University Medical School, Massachusetts, MA, USA
Field: biochemistry
Education: Graduated from Nagasaki College of Pharmacy in 1951, and holds his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Nagoya University.
Fact: His wife, Akemi Shimomura, was also his research assistant.
Martin Chalfie
Born: 15 January 1947, Chicago, IL, USA
Affiliation at the time of the award: Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Field: biochemistry
Education: Recieved his Ph.D. in neurobiology from Harvard in 1977.
Interesting Fact: Three out of four of his grandparents were immigrants.
Roger Y. Tsien
Born: 1 February 1952, New York, NY, USA
Affiliation at the time of the award: University of California, San Diego, CA, USA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Field: biochemistry
Education: Graduated from Harvard University in 1972, and received his Ph.D. in physiology from Churchill College, Cambridge in 1977.
Fact: His older brother chose his American name after the famous cowboy actor, Roy Rogers.
GFP
What is the green fluorescent protein or GFP?
- Osamu Shimomura began studying jellyfish in to determine what makes them glow. He found a protein (GFP) in these fish containing a chemical that absorbs and emits light called a chromophore.
- Martin Chalfie wanted to use the GFP to track cell activity inside a roundworm. When he got E. Coli to reproduce GFP, he accidentally discovered GFP can be reproduced without any additional proteins.
- Roger Y. Tsien was able to change the color of the GFP by adding various amino acids to different parts of the protein.
Why is GFP important?
- Certain structures cannot be viewed under a microscope so GFP can help scientists view these really tiny structures
- The strong green color from the protein shows up under blue and ultraviolet light.
- This protein can help show the development of Alzheimer's disease in the brain or the growth of cancer tumors.
- Using this GFP, scientists can track a single protein and the process it goes through to observe these diseases and find a cure.
- Today, GFP is a standard tool for researchers all over the world.