Research On Glowing Jellyfish Earns Scientists Nobel Prize For Chemistry

Stockholm, Sweden (AHN) - Another trio of scientists were recognized by the Nobel Foundation for their discovery of the mystery behind the green glow of jellyfish. The past two days saw trios also being awarded the Nobel laureates for Medicine and Physics.

For this finding, Osamu Shimomura of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts, Martin Chalfie of Columbia University and Roger Tsien of the University of California at San Diego will be awarded the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.

The three savants discovered and developed the green fluorescent protein GFP, which was initially observed in 1962 among crystal jellyfish along the waters of the west coast of North America. With the use of the GFP, the researchers were able to develop methods to observe processes that previously were invisible. It includes the development of nerve cells or the spread of cancer cells.

Shimomura, a Japanese, isolated GFP from the crystal jellyfish. Chalfie, an American, showed GFP's worth as a luminous genetic tag, while Tsien, also a U.S. citizen, used other colors beyond green.

According to the Nobel Foundation, GFP is useful in researching on how nerve cell is damaged during the onset of Alzheimer's disease or how insulin-producing beta cells is created in the pancreas of a growing embryo.

For their efforts, the three scientists will receive a third each of the $1.4 million (800,000 pound) cash prize, a medal and a diploma.