Photoactivatable fluorescent protein
Okay kiddo, have you ever played with glow-in-the-dark toys? Well, scientists have made something like that, but much cooler! They call it a "photoactivatable fluorescent protein" or "PAFP" for short.
So, what does it do? Well, it's like a lightbulb for tiny things called cells. These cells are really small and we can't see them without special tools like microscopes. But scientists can make certain cells glow with these PAFPs.
How do they do it? Well, they use a special kind of protein that they add to the cells. It's like putting a special paint on the cells that makes them light up when they're shown a certain kind of light called "UV light."
Now, remember how I said this protein is "photoactivatable"? That means it only glows when you turn it on with the UV light. Otherwise, it stays dark. So scientists can control when the cells light up, like turning a switch on and off.
Why do scientists use PAFPs? Well, they can use them to study how things work in cells like how they move and how they make other tiny things called molecules. It's kind of like a special flashlight that helps them see better.
So, that's a photoactivatable fluorescent protein. Cool, huh?
So, what does it do? Well, it's like a lightbulb for tiny things called cells. These cells are really small and we can't see them without special tools like microscopes. But scientists can make certain cells glow with these PAFPs.
How do they do it? Well, they use a special kind of protein that they add to the cells. It's like putting a special paint on the cells that makes them light up when they're shown a certain kind of light called "UV light."
Now, remember how I said this protein is "photoactivatable"? That means it only glows when you turn it on with the UV light. Otherwise, it stays dark. So scientists can control when the cells light up, like turning a switch on and off.
Why do scientists use PAFPs? Well, they can use them to study how things work in cells like how they move and how they make other tiny things called molecules. It's kind of like a special flashlight that helps them see better.
So, that's a photoactivatable fluorescent protein. Cool, huh?