As in past years, the Banker lab had an exhibit at the Brain Fair held each March at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) under the auspices of OHSU’s Brain Awareness Program. The exhibit explained how the green fluorescent protein, GFP, from the bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea Victoria has revolutionized modern cell biology. On several computer screens we showed our time-lapse movies of trafficking events happening inside living neurons (right image). For the younger generation, we demonstrated the concept of fluorescence using black paper, fluorescent highlighters and a black light. Attentive visitors walked off with our own rendition of colorful refrigerator art — pretty pictures of neurons we cultured and stained in our lab (left image).

For information about the Brain Awareness Program visit (http://www.oregonbrains.org/outreach/
baw/fact.shtml).