Title
Cellular Laser Tag
Preview
Creation Date
Spring 2023
Description
Without proteins, life could not exist. Proteins perform many functions both inside and outside of the cell, but how does the protein know where to go? In Dr. Edwards Drosophila (Fruit Fly) Genetics lab we use Hostile Takeover insertions for "protein trapping." This allows us to induce a gene and tag the synthesized protein to help us understand why proteins localize in certain areas. This montage of three pictures was taken using a confocal microscope, which uses lasers to excite the proteins. The images are of the fly larva’s salivary gland cells. Green shows the banded chromosomes within the nucleus. Orange shows the tagged protein resulting from the Hostile Takeover insertion. In this example, the protein can be seen localizing within a compartment of the nucleus next to, but not entering, the nucleolus. Finally, the purple color shows sugars around the nucleus and within the cytoplasm.