A UC San Diego researcher is sharing a nobel prize in chemistry with two other researchers. Roger Tsien was honored for developing colorful dyes called Green Fluorescent Protein. The dyes come from the molecules that allow jelly fish to glow. Other scientists around the world are now using GFPs to track changes in cells that couldn't previously seen. Tsien says he likes knowing that other scientists are using his work to make new discoveries.
Tsien: I can sort of feel the vicarious pleasure that when they discover things, that's part of why we build a lot of these tools, it's the enjoyment that a relatively small, one lab or a few labs can contribute to lots and lots of people through experimentation and across a very wide range of subjects.
Tsien is now using GFPs in the fight against cancer. He's developing a new way to deliver specially targeted drugs to tumors.
