GFP
The protein that I have chosen is the GFP protein, which stands for green fluorescent protein. This GFP protein is said to be found in the north pacific waters, in specific jellyfish. This jellyfish contains "bioluminescent protein, which is an aequorin." This protein itself is actually emits a blue color but this is where the GTP protein comes into play. The GTP protein then takes this bioluminescent protein and converts it to green light. It emits this color by absorbing the UV rays from the sun, through the water, into the jellyfish, which in turn emits its green fluorescent color, at a much lower intensity than the UV rays from the sun. If you were to look at this jellyfish not in the sunlight but rather inside under a regular lamp light it would appear to be a yellow color.
This GFP protein can be used in a number of ways, mostly because it is so easy to use. For example the GFP protein can be used as a marker protein in a therapeutic or cancer drug that you can be given to a patient with a certain disease and/or cancerous. Being able to track the path that this drug is traveling, being able to time its reaction rate (how quick the drug is being taken up by the cells) or see what isn't functioning appropriately. For example, if certain protein(s) aren’t binding or aren’t capable of binding proficiently to its specific receptor site, this would show researchers the location of where the cancer is being generated and could help supply answers to finding a cure.
GFP can also be used for studying abundant living cell types and making a slight mutation in the stability of the chromophore, or they can be used as biosensors, which sense ion or pH levels. It is a very unique, fast growing protein that is being used worldwide and is even being inserted into different animals such as rabbits, mice, frogs etc. GFP is a great tool for genetic engineering (it can fold on itself and glow) and its popularity of use is greater than ever.
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