Building a barrier to bacteria The unlikely relationship between
green fluorescent protein from a jellyfish and a potentially
fatal golden staph infection is the cornerstone of landmark
research underway by biochemist Dr Peter Lewis. Lewis is using
the green fluorescent protein from the jellyfish Aequorea
victoria for his research into bacteria, as part of a global
effort to develop anti-infection drugs to combat disease. The
€12 million ($AUD20 million) initiative, known as the Bacillus
Systems Biology (or the BaSysBio) project, involves the
collaboration of 16 international partners. Lewis is the only
researcher based outside of Europe. The project is investigating
the changes that occur when bacteria are under stress – the
point at which it is likely to become most infectious. Lewis'
work involves researching transcription, a process where the
genetic information in chromosomes, or DNA, is copied and used
by the cell to make protein. "The joy of the Aequorea victoria’s
green fluorescent protein is that it