berkeley scientists

(University of California - Berkeley) Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have devised a way to squeeze light into tighter spaces than ever thought possible, potentially opening doors to new technology in the fields of optical communications, miniature lasers and optical computers.

The transparent embryos of zebrafish are popular models of development, and scientists routinely tag proteins with tracers to study protein trafficking in the embryo.

Sugars, which decorate 90 percent of the proteins on a cell's surface, have been harder to track. Now, UC Berkeley scientists have developed a way to attach fluorophores to sugars and follow their changing patterns throughout early development, providing a tool that could reveal the true role of cell-surface sugars.