New Fluorescent 'Spinach' Molecule Illuminates Inner Workings of RNA
Spinach RNA Images of Spinach RNA expressed in E. coli. Colonies expressing the control molecule exhibited no fluorescence, but colonies expressing the Spinach molecule were brightly fluorescent. Paige et. al/© Science/AAASGreens are good for you The newest optical techniques are making cell biology a little clearer, but it's still a murky business, watching cells work. A new technique that illuminates RNA - the builder of proteins, making copies according to DNA's blueprint - is one way to shine a light on that process. Researchers have been using green fluorescent protein for years, tagging molecules and cells to make them glow under certain conditions and when certain changes occur. Now scientists at Weill Cornell Medical School in New York have figured out how to make RNA molecules light up, so they can watch them at work. Monitoring RNA could help biologists understand how and when the molecules move around in cells, in...