Marker For Screening
A marker for screening will make cells containing the gene look different. There are three types of screening commonly used:
- Green fluorescent protein makes cells glow green under UV light. A specialized microscope is required to see individual cells. Yellow and red versions are also available, so scientists can look at multiple genes at once. It is commonly used to measure gene expression.
- GUS assay (using β-glucuronidase) is an excellent method for detecting a single cell by staining it blue without using any complicated equipment. The drawback is that the cells are killed in the process. It is particularly common in plant science.
- Blue white screen is used in both bacteria and eukaryotic cells. The bacterial lacZ gene encodes a beta-galactosidase enzyme. When media containing certain galactosides (e.g. X-gal) is added, cells expressing the gene convert the X-gal to a blue product and can be seen with the naked eye.
Read more about this topic: Marker Gene
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