Measuring Real-time Gene Expression -- Kilby Young

http://www.macroevolution.net/real-time-gene-expression.html

Summary - A study was done at the University of South Carolina to experiement on how genes affect animals. The "guinea pigs" were typical fruit flies. The experimentors of this inserted a harmless chemical called Green Fluoresent Protein (GFP). When this gene was being used by the fly, it would give of a fluoresent glow. The studying few were really interested in what genes were activated while the fly was dying. The genes the scientists were studying were know to be active during oxidative stress, which is what the fly goes through when it is dying.

Opinion - I thought this was interesting because not many people are into the genes of flies. I also liked that the people studying the flies used the Green Fluoresent Protein. It is a very smart idea and completely harmless to the fly itself. It was also cool finding out what oxidative stress was and that that's how flies generally die. Another pretty interesting idea from this artical is that GFP could be inserted into any gene and you would be able to track it at any time.