Bangalore: Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a "transgenic green mouse" using "green fluorescent protein" found in jelly fish that could be a model for conducting future cell-transplantation studies.

"The reason why we use the protein is that you don't need a fluorescent dye or any kind of tracking mechanism to visualise...this protein, by itself, is fluorescent green," Prof P B Seshagiri of Department of Molecular Reproduction Development and Genetics (MRDG) at IISc said on September 9.

The first transgenic green mouse in the country was developed early this year by the scientists and several mouse lines have been generated.

"If you have this protein in a cell, the cell will be green and wherever you have the protein, whether in a cell, membrane or an organ that particular region will also be green," he said.

Seshagiri said it took about three years to create the infrastructure for the project and about four to 12 months in generating animals.

Citing an example on how the green fluorescent protein could be used in cell-based theraphy, he said a diabetic patient who could develop resistance to insulin may be administered an insulin-generating cell to reach the pancreas and find whether it reaches the organ and its progress.

PTI