August 1, 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 14)
URL:
http://www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/GFP-1.htm
Rating:
Strong Points: Very well-rounded
Weak Points: None
Summary:
Is there a single tool that has had a bigger effect on the study of cellular and organism biology than Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)? Isolated originally from a jellyfish, GFP has the very useful property of fluorescing a bright green in the presence of UV light, allowing it to be used as a reporter gene for a multitude of purposes. As noted, many of these find utility in the study of cell biology, for example in the tracking of proteins through eukaryotic cells, but that is only one application. At the GFP site, visitors can discover the wide range of uses of this remarkable molecule and also learn about the molecular structure that gives rise to its wonderful color. A nice collection of links and a review of the book “Glowing Gene” round out a site that is useful both to casual browsers and researchers alike.
