Writing for a general audience, Zimmer (chemistry, Connecticut College) describes his own and others' research in bioluminescence, particularly that found in a green fluorescent protein in one species of jellyfish. He describes how that protein was isolated, cloned, and introduced to a variety of flora and fauna, and how bioluminescence has serious and startling applications in research on cancer, bone marrow conditions, and diabetes; in drought-proofing crops; and even the in war on terrorism by making dangerous biological materials bioluminescent. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Green fluorescent pigment (GFP), made naturally by jellyfish, has recently sparked a biological revolution. "GFP is a fantastically useful protein" because it can monitor and track other proteins "inside a living organism, without disrupting any molecular processes." As Connecticut College chemist Zimmer shows, scientists have cloned the gene for GFP and attached it to other genes in a wide array of organisms, from rabbits to monkeys and fish. When these other genes are turned on, GFP is produced and individual cells begin to glow. The diagnostic uses for this technique are critically important and varied. GFP may help with the early diagnosis of cancer, with tracking the spread of pathogenic bacteria and may provide a relatively quick and easy assay for anthrax, among other exciting uses. Additionally, GFP has already helped scientists better understand developmental processes in organisms, which may lead to cures for such diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. While Zimmer is moderately successful in presenting the excitement associated with these breakthroughs, his clumsy prose often gets in the way of his message. His transitions between topics are so obtuse that much of his text reads like a series of extended digressions. Zimmer is at his best when explaining basic biology and chemistry; as his subject gets more complex, his explanations become more difficult to follow. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Marc Zimmer is the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Teaching Professor and professor of chemistry at Connecticut College. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.