Glowing genes : a revolution in biotechnology / Marc Zimmer.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Zimmer, Marc

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Green fluorescent protein--Popular works.
• Luminescent Proteins--genetics.
• Green fluorescent protein.
• Genetic Engineering.
• Luminescent Measurements.
• Organisms, Genetically Modified.

Medical Subjects:

• Luminescent Proteins--genetics.
• Genetic Engineering.
• Luminescent Measurements.
• Organisms, Genetically Modified.

Genre:

• Popular works.

Physical Description:

221 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, 2005.

Summary:

• Glowing Genes is the first popular science book on an amazing new area of biotechnology that will help us understand cancer, create new products, improve agriculture, and combat terrorism. For more than 160 million years, green fluorescent protein has existed in one species of jellyfish. In 1994 it was cloned, giving rise to a host of useful and potentially revolutionary applications in biotechnology. Today, researchers are using this ancient glowing protein to pursue exciting new discoveries, from tracking the process of bacterial infection to detecting chemical and biological agents planted by terrorists.
• A recognized expert in this field, Marc Zimmer begins with an overview of the many uses of these glowing genes to image cancer cells, monitor bacterial infections, and light up in the presence of pollution. He then discusses the biological reasons that glowing proteins first evolved in jellyfish and fireflies, and he looks at the history of bioluminescence and the dedicated scientists who devoted their careers to explaining this phenomenon. The story of how "glowing genes" were located, cloned, and then mass produced is in itself a fascinating tale.
• Zimmer next turns to the serious, and not-so-serious, uses of fluorescent proteins. In agriculture it may soon be possible to produce crops that signal dryness by glowing. In industry a red fluorescent protein originally found in corals may be used to create sheep with red wool, eliminating the need for environmentally harmful dyes. Furthermore, the glowing-gene revolution has led to significantly more humane treatment of laboratory animals. No longer must animal lives be sacrificed to understand disease processes; now researchers can observe the spread of cancer and infections in live animals with green fluorescent genes and similar proteins.
• In the fight against terrorism, genetically modified organisms containing glowing genes have been created that light up in the presence of anthrax spores, chemical warfare agents, and landmines. And in a completely different arena, we have already seen the emergence of "transgenic art" in Alba, the fluorescent rabbit.
• Glowing Genes is a highly informative, fascinating, and entertaining read about a burgeoning area of biotechnology that promises soon to revolutionize our world.

Contents:

• Living light
• From Pliny's walking stick to burning angels
• Using fireflies to look for life on Mars?
• Shimomura's "squeezate"
• Where is the GFP recipe? Let's photocopy it
• The birth of the green fluorescent protein revolution
• Thirsty potatoes and green blood
• Alba, the fluorescent rabbit
• Light in a can
• Red sheep from Russia
• ANDi the green monkey and a yellow pig
• Cameleons, FLIP, FRET, FRAP, and camgaroos
• Cancer
• Glowing genes in medicine
• Defense, security, and bioterrorism
• Last light.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-216) and index.

ISBN:

1591022533

OCLC:

56614624