A Day in the Life of a Protein: The Green-Fluorescent Protein as a Laboratory Teaching Aid

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In order to help undergraduate students grasp the basic concepts underlying the role and function of proteins in living systems we take the students on a journey, from gene through mRNA to functional protein - showing them a "day in the life of a protein." The vehicle for this journey is the visually appealing Green-Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Discovered in bioluminescent jellyfish and sea pansies in the 1960s and characterized in the 1970s, GFP has recently become one of the most exciting and useful molecules in the field of biotechnology. When expressed in either eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells and illuminated by UV light, GFP emits an eerie green glow. This light fascinates students, allowing them to see where the protein is located, and by the intensity of the glow, how much protein is present, giving the students a very direct interaction with the protein. Using both wild-type GFP and a blue colored variant as tools the students explore the concepts behind gene transfer, gene expression and regulation, as well as the relationship between protein structure and function. Because the students use GFP throughout all their explorations in the laboratory course, they experience a continuity of purpose seldom achieved in the biochemistry teaching laboratory. During this journey the students obtain direct hands-on-experience in the basic techniques used in modem biotechnological research. This experience helps prepare the students to enter a society in which issues involving genetic and protein engineering are becoming ever more common.The implemention of these changes to the Biochemistry laboratory course is based on information in the literature from both basic and applied research on GFP. Adapted NSF funded research information comes GFP work in basic biophysical properties (9632342), bioimaging (9816947 & 9513065), ecophysiology (9604528), cell physiology (9604342 & 9603730), genetics (9505535 & 9874491) and environmental research (9701018). Other adapted material from NSF funded education work is from cellular physiology (9875939) and glycopeptide biochemistry (9874744). Furthermore, gains from a NSF-ATE work in biotechnology are adapted (9602356).