Scientists create glowing green mice

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In Vivo Tumour Models (0.06 MB)   Whole Body Optical Imaging... (0.22 MB)   Whole Body Optical Imaging (0.65 MB)   In Vivo Gene Expression Models (0.11 MB)   Leica MZ6   PNAS Online

The gene that encodes it comes from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, and researchers have long been using this GFP gene to track cellular processes by making ride pillion on the section of DNA they are interested in. Yang's group have found that they can visualise tumour cells labelled with GFP, and implanted into mice, even when the cells take root and grow in fresh soft organs and bone -- notoriously difficult areas to see with conventional imaging. The researchers do this by hooking the GFP gene into the DNA of mutated cells so that they pass it onto all their progeny cells. All procedures of the operation were performed with a 40x magnification stereomicroscope, Leica MZ6.