A Close Encounter with Green Fluorescent Protein

Some months ago we received notification that Dr Roger Tsien, the Nobel Laureate from San Diego, would be visiting the Center in August. During his visit, he hoped that we might be able to provide him with a chance to see one of the bioluminescent jellyfish that has made his work on protein marker so famous.

According to Richard, ..."the jellyfish in question is Aequorea , probably A. victoria up here, and the common name is water jellyfish. Even though they can grow 7” or so across they are hydrozoans rather than scyphozoans like the large moon jellies and lion’s manes. I’ve never seen their polyp/hydroid stage but they apparently live on mussels". There is an excellent description of the jellyfish by a long time researcher in Washington State, Dr Claudia Mills at http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Aequorea.html

With his usual penchant for detail, Richard immediately set in train a summer long search for the jellyfish - a search that proved fruitless until just the day before Dr Tsien's visit. Jared, Nathaniel, Heather and Asia were out in the SeaSearcher yesterday in Humpy Cove south of the Center on a collecting trip. Richard asked them to take a look for these and... as he says "boy, it was a lucky break they found ‘em since no one was giving me much hope elsewhere we tried. On the trip yesterday, they also came across some juvenile prowfish and a juvenile crested sculpin using the lion’s mane jellies for cover".

Given this build up, it was with some trepidation that I went down to the holding tanks with Dr Tsien, Richard, Jared and Nathaniel... I'm so glad I did - with the aid of a special flashlight, Dr Tsien was able to show me the amazing green luminescent ring inside our newest jellfish - WOW!

Bioluminscence has always fascinated me and discussing the evolutionary advantages of this and related phenomena with Dr Tsien made the encounter even more memorable.

Ask our amazing aquarists if you too can get up close and personal with a GFP loaded jellyfish sometime...

p.s. the image here is for illustration purposes and was clipped from the Google Image bank - our jelly was much more spectacular!