Contents
Roger Y. Tsien
Turning fluorescent proteins into tools for watching processes inside living cells.
Calcium indicators · Fluorescent proteins
- Born
- 1 February 1952
- Birthplace
- New York City, United States
- Died
- 24 August 2016
More people
Roger Y. Tsien
Roger Y. Tsien was an American biochemist and pioneer of biological imaging. He shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on green fluorescent protein.
Early life
Home experiments
Built a chemistry laboratory in his family’s New Jersey basement.
Early recognition
Won the Westinghouse Science Talent Search at sixteen before studying at Harvard.
Career
- 1977
Doctorate
Completed physiology research at Cambridge.
- 1980s
Calcium imaging
Developed fluorescent indicators for tracking cellular signals.
- 1989
San Diego
Joined the University of California, San Diego.
- 2008
Nobel Prize
Shared the chemistry award.
Contributions
Calcium indicators
Co-developed improved fluorescent tools for measuring calcium.
Fluorescent proteins
Expanded the colours and usefulness of protein markers.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Recognition for green fluorescent protein research.
Beyond research
Music
Studied music theory and chamber performance while at Harvard.
Family
Married Wendy Globe; his brother Richard also became a neuroscientist.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.