Three Scientists Win Nobel for Green Fluorescent Jellyfish Protein (GFP)

The Royal Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize to three U.S based scientists on Wednesday for turning a glowing green protein from Jellyfish into a revolutionary way of tracing even the microscopic details of cells and genes activity within living organisms.

Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) acts as a marker on otherwise invisible proteins. It is now being used worldwide by researchers to track the development of brain cells. It has also led scientists to study nerve cell damage from Alzheimer’s disease, and the development of beta cells in the pancreas of a growing embryo.

GFP’s chemically related proteins produce other colors, which let scientists follow multiple cells or proteins simultaneously. The Royal Swedish Academy has compared the impact of GFP on science to “the invention of the microscope”.

The Three scientists include Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien. The trio will be splitting the $1.4 million award. The award also includes a diploma, and an invitation to the prize ceremonies in Stockholm and Oslo on Dec. 10.