First fluorescent protein 3D hologram
"In developing this world first, we anticipate this 3D modelling will enable the global bio-chemical community to visualise the complexities of molecules or proteins in a far more detailed way” – Javid Khan, Managing Director of Holoxica
Holoxica, a University of Edinburgh start-up company that specialises in holography and 3D display, has created the world's first 3D hologram of the structure of a green fluorescent protein.
This is a significant development as it will enhance biomedical research into the behavioural activity of proteins by allowing scientists to appreciate their three-dimensional structure without any glasses or other visual aids.
Lifelike and geometrically accurate
Holoxica takes a molecular description of a protein from the protein data base, which contains all the necessary atomic and positional information to describe the structure, and can produce a hologram which is geometrically accurate and to scale.
The company can create any type of structure in any orientation including the popular ribbon structure or ball-and-stick atomic models. The hologram's 3D image appears in mid-air and changes perspective as you move around it.
World's first
Javid Khan, Managing Director of Holoxica, said: "In developing this world first, we anticipate this 3D modelling will enable the global bio-chemical community to visualise the complexities of molecules or proteins in a far more detailed way.
“It's even possible to do some animation where the structure can be rotated as the viewer moves around the hologram or it can peel away to reveal underlying structures from different angles.”
Green fluorescent protein
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) structure is used to ‘tag' other proteins to make them glow luminously, allowing scientists to watch their movement and interaction with other cells. GFP was originally isolated from bioluminescent jellyfish and glows green when it is exposed to light.
The discovery of GFP led to three eminent scientists winning the 2008 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their work in advancing the understanding of the machinery inside living cells: Roger Tsien, a professor at the University of California San Diego; Martin Chalfie of Columbia University; and Osamu Shimomura, a Japanese researcher at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts.
Discover more about Scotland's cutting-edge life sciences research on the Scottish Development International website