What biological fluorescent protein earned Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry?

Green fluorescent protein earned Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The protein, commonly called GFP, was first isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. Shimomura discovered the fluorescent substance while studying the jellyfish’s bioluminescence. Chalfie later demonstrated that GFP could be produced inside other living organisms, while Tsien developed variants with altered colors and improved properties.

GFP became a powerful biological marker because researchers can attach its gene to another gene or activate it in selected cells. The resulting fluorescence makes processes such as gene expression, neuron development and protein movement visible under suitable illumination. Unlike many chemical stains, GFP can be produced by living cells from genetic instructions.

GFP is sometimes confused with luciferase, an enzyme used in bioluminescent systems. GFP does not itself create light through the same chemical reaction; it absorbs higher-energy light and emits green light.