Comments on: A beach in glowing bacteria

By: Bri

Bri — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:22:38 +0000

Great article! I used to work in a lab that used GFP knock-in mice to visualize GABA-ergic neurons. When the pups were born we’d hold them underneath the scope and if their brains glowed green we knew they were GFP-positive! *sigh* I miss basic research..

By: Marc Abian

Marc Abian — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:58:50 +0000

This is truly amazing, I’m taking Microbiology now and I should tell my professor about this one. Thanks!

He probably knows already. It’s rather fashionable for visiting speakers to my university to spell out messages on plates and then put the plates on their presentation.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:18:55 +0000

Gustavo – thanks for the correction. I’ve changed the text accordingly. I absolutely agree that accuracy is important.

By: Gustavo

Gustavo — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:02:19 +0000

Seems like an interesting website or at least it has a nice name but first article I read and… first mistake I find. Roger Tsien, with all the respect and admiration I have for him (I also live in San Diego where he works), he did not discover GFP. Nature probably did but Osamu Shimomura, who shared the nobel prize with Roger Tsien and Martin Shalfie, was the first to really isolate GFP. Roger excelled in the applications he did out of it. Not a big thing but accuracy is also important when you write about science especially when it comes to attributing discoveries to people. Other than that, I will certainly peruse your website and keep the good work.

By: AJ

AJ — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:44:35 +0000

This image conjured memories of when I had the pleasure of interviewing Roger Tsien at a conference here in Brisbane, Australia last year. The most interesting part of talking to the man was that he was a Nobel prize winner who was still excited when recalling how he messed about with chemistry sets as a kid. He also said he was saddened by the emergence of “GFP pets” as he saw them as an exploitation of a scientific idea for quick profit. Finally, you have to respect a man who can bring off socks and sandals at the same time.

By: Nagraj

Nagraj — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:05:28 +0000

its amazing!!! do they have special microscopes to image the flour petry plate?

By: Verna

Verna — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:29:27 +0000

Inspiring to say the least. If this doesn’t spark an interest in science in youngsters, nothing will.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:01:40 +0000

Thanks for the hat-tip… I’m flattered that such an accomplished writer has even seen my blog

Don’t be – your blog’s great. Everyone, go check out Christie’s blog.

By: Lab Rat

Lab Rat — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:10:34 +0000

wow, so beautiful! Particularly impressive as at the moment I’m having a hard time growing anything on my plates that isn’t fungal contamination

By: Kevin Schreck

Kevin Schreck — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:43:03 +0000

Amazing! And who says science can’t produce art?