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The Nobel Prize for chemistry has gone to a trio of scientists for their work on green fluorescent protein, which allows scientists to see how cellular machinery works. All kinds of cells and whole animals have been genetically engineered to make fluorescent proteins.

Mark Zimmer, a chemist at Connecticut College and author of Glowing Genes, calls GFP the "microscope of the 21st century."

By attaching the GFP to a gene of interest — say, those involved in tumor metastasis or brain function — scientists can see when and why the genes switch on just by looking for the glow.

"Since GFP fluoresces one can shine light at the cell and wait for the distinctive green fluorescence associated with GFP to appear," Zimmer writes on his web page.

In this gallery, we look at startling and beautiful examples of fluorescent proteins used in research and art.

The Nobel Prize winners — Martin Chalfie, Roger Y. Tsien and Osamu Shimomura — first isolated the fluorescence-producing gene in the crystal jellyfish, pictured here.

Image: fangleman/Flickr