Scientists discover fluorescence in key marine creature

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Fluorescence shown along the body structure of amphioxus. Credit: Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego
Fluorescence shown along the body structure of amphioxus. Credit: Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego

Fluorescent proteins found in nature have been employed in a variety of scientific research purposes, from markers for tracing molecules in biomedicine to probes for testing environmental quality. Until now, such proteins have been identified mostly in jellyfish and corals, leading to the belief that the capacity for fluorescence in animals is exclusive to such primitive creatures.


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