Scientists Learn to Make Genes Glow in the Dark

Researchers have developed a way to “tag” genes so that they glow in the dark, a technique that they say gives scientists a way to follow specific genetic activity of cells within plants and animals.

Scientists from Cornell University’s Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and Texas A & M University developed the tagging technique so they could visually tell when certain genes were working within organisms.

The development, announced Sunday by the institute and the National Science Foundation, which sponsored the research, should prove useful to genetic engineers studying and modifying the basic functions of organisms.

Basis of Heredity

Genes are small pieces of DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, the basic substance of heredity. Strands of DNA make up the chromosomes within cells that pass on their characteristics to subsequent generations.

Within these chromosomes are genes that turn on and off to make proteins that influence the chemistry of the organism. Genetic engineers transfer genes to and from organisms in hopes of giving them advantageous characteristics or to remove negative ones.

The new technique, called bioluminescent genetic tagging, puts a marker on transferred genes so that cells light up as they follow their new genes’ chemical instructions.

Non-Destructive Technique

Dr. Aladar A. Szalay, a Thompson Institute biochemist who headed the development team, said the non-destructive technique someday might be used to follow development of specific tissues or organs in plants and animals.