Martin Chalfie

Martin Chalfie is an American chemist and the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2008. He shared the honour with Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien for the discovery and development of GFP, the green fluorescent protein. In 2004 he was elected to become a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Chalfie’s work on the green fluorescent protein was inspired by a seminar on bioluminescent organisms given by Paul Brehm in 1989. This is when he found out about the GFP and started thinking about how this protein could be used as a biological marker. Chalfie’s new idea lead to a series of experiments in 1992 that were described in his paper “Green Fluorescent Protein as a Marker for Gene Expression”, one of 20 most-cited papers in the field of Molecular Biology & Genetics. Today the green fluorescent protein has become one of the most important tools in bioscience.

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Chemist CHEMIST (green fluorescent protein)
Martin Chalfie
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2004 National Academy of Sciences

2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Alexander Bounoutas; John Kratz; Lesley Emtage; Charles Ma; Ken C Nguyen; Martin Chalfie Microtubule depolymerization in Caenorhabditis elegans touch receptor neurons reduces gene expression through a p38 MAPK pathway. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2011;108(10):3982-7.

Irini Topalidou; Alexander van Oudenaarden; Martin Chalfie Caenorhabditis elegans aristaless/Arx gene alr-1 restricts variable gene expression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2011;108(10):4063-8.

Calixto, A; Chelur, D; Topalidou, I; Chen, X; Chalfie, M Enhanced neuronal RNAi in C. elegans using SID-1. Nature methods 2010;7(7):554-9.

Jóhanna Arnadóttir; Martin Chalfie Eukaryotic mechanosensitive channels. Annual review of biophysics 2010;39():111-37.

Andrea Calixto; Charles Ma; Martin Chalfie Conditional gene expression and RNAi using MEC-8-dependent splicing in C. elegans. Nature methods 2010;7(5):407-11.

Martin Chalfie The 2009 Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting: Martin Chalfie, Chemistry 2008. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE 2010;(36):.

Martin Chalfie Learning from students at Lindau. Nature chemistry 2009;1(8):586-7.

Alexander Bounoutas; Qun Zheng; Michael L Nonet; Martin Chalfie mec-15 encodes an F-box protein required for touch receptor neuron mechanosensation, synapse formation and development. Genetics 2009;183(2):607-17, 1SI-4SI.

Alexander Bounoutas; Robert O’Hagan; Martin Chalfie The multipurpose 15-protofilament microtubules in C. elegans have specific roles in mechanosensation. Current biology : CB 2009;19(16):1362-7.

Martin Chalfie GFP: Lighting up life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2009;106(25):10073-80.

Martin Chalfie GFP: lighting up life (Nobel Lecture). Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) 2009;48(31):5603-11.

Martin Chalfie Neurosensory mechanotransduction. Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology 2009;10(1):44-52.

Alexander Bounoutas; Martin Chalfie Touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Pflügers Archiv : European journal of physiology 2007;454(5):691-702.

Dattananda S Chelur; Martin Chalfie Targeted cell killing by reconstituted caspases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2007;104(7):2283-8.

Lisa R Girard; Tristan J Fiedler; Todd W Harris; Felicia Carvalho; Igor Antoshechkin; Michael Han; Paul W Sternberg; Lincoln D Stein; Martin Chalfie WormBook: the online review of Caenorhabditis elegans biology. Nucleic acids research 2007;35(Database issue):D472-5.

Tobias B Huber; Bernhard Schermer; Roman Ulrich Müller; Martin Höhne; Malte Bartram; Andrea Calixto; Henning Hagmann; Christian Reinhardt; Fabienne Koos; Karl Kunzelmann; et al. Podocin and MEC-2 bind cholesterol to regulate the activity of associated ion channels. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2006;103(46):17079-86.

Ben Lehner; Andrea Calixto; Catriona Crombie; Julia Tischler; Angelo Fortunato; Martin Chalfie; Andrew G Fraser Loss of LIN-35, the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the tumor suppressor p105Rb, results in enhanced RNA interference. Genome biology 2006;7(1):R4.

Robert O’Hagan; Martin Chalfie Mechanosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans. International review of neurobiology 2006;69():169-203.

Robert O’Hagan; Martin Chalfie; Miriam B Goodman The MEC-4 DEG/ENaC channel of Caenorhabditis elegans touch receptor neurons transduces mechanical signals. Nature neuroscience 2005;8(1):43-50.

Lesley Emtage; Guoqiang Gu; Erika Hartwieg; Martin Chalfie Extracellular proteins organize the mechanosensory channel complex in C. elegans touch receptor neurons. Neuron 2004;44(5):795-807.

Shifang Zhang; Johanna Arnadottir; Charles Keller; Guy A Caldwell; C Andrea Yao; Martin Chalfie MEC-2 is recruited to the putative mechanosensory complex in C. elegans touch receptor neurons through its stomatin-like domain. Current biology : CB 2004;14(21):1888-96.

Shifang Zhang; Charles Ma; Martin Chalfie Combinatorial marking of cells and organelles with reconstituted fluorescent proteins. Cell 2004;119(1):137-44.

Masha V Poyurovsky; Xavier Jacq; Charles Ma; Orit Karni-Schmidt; Peter J Parker; Martin Chalfie; James L Manley; Carol Prives Nucleotide binding by the Mdm2 RING domain facilitates Arf-independent Mdm2 nucleolar localization. Molecular cell 2003;12(4):875-87.

Anne S Toker; Yingqi Teng; Henrique B Ferreira; Scott W Emmons; Martin Chalfie The Caenorhabditis elegans spalt-like gene sem-4 restricts touch cell fate by repressing the selector Hox gene egl-5 and the effector gene mec-3. Development (Cambridge, England) 2003;130(16):3831-40.

J Taub; J F Lau; C Ma; J H Hahn; R Hoque; J Rothblatt; M Chalfie A cytosolic catalase is needed to extend adult lifespan in C. elegans daf-C and clk-1 mutants. Nature 2003;421(6924):764.

Dattananda S Chelur; Glen G Ernstrom; Miriam B Goodman; C Andrea Yao; Lei Chen; Robert O’ Hagan; Martin Chalfie The mechanosensory protein MEC-6 is a subunit of the C. elegans touch-cell degenerin channel. Nature 2002;420(6916):669-73.

Yun Zhang; Martin Chalfie MTD-1, a touch-cell-specific membrane protein with a subtle effect on touch sensitivity. Mechanisms of development 2002;119(1):3-7.

Yun Zhang; Charles Ma; Thomas Delohery; Brian Nasipak; Barrett C Foat; Alexander Bounoutas; Harmen J Bussemaker; Stuart K Kim; Martin Chalfie Identification of genes expressed in C. elegans touch receptor neurons. Nature 2002;418(6895):331-5.

Miriam B Goodman; Glen G Ernstrom; Dattananda S Chelur; Robert O’Hagan; C Andrea Yao; Martin Chalfie MEC-2 regulates C. elegans DEG/ENaC channels needed for mechanosensation. Nature 2002;415(6875):1039-42.

Glen G Ernstrom; Martin Chalfie Genetics of sensory mechanotransduction. Annual review of genetics 2002;36():411-53.

H Du; M Chalfie Genes regulating touch cell development in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2001;158(1):197-207.

J Wu; A Duggan; M Chalfie Inhibition of touch cell fate by egl-44 and egl-46 in C. elegans. Genes & development 2001;15(6):789-802.

J Taub; J F Lau; C Ma; J H Hahn; R Hoque; J Rothblatt; M Chalfie A cytosolic catalase is needed to extend adult lifespan in C. elegans daf-C and clk-1 mutants. Nature 1999;399(6732):162-6.

R Y Lee; E R Sawin; M Chalfie; H R Horvitz; L Avery EAT-4, a homolog of a mammalian sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter, is necessary for glutamatergic neurotransmission in caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 1999;19(1):159-67.

M Treinin; B Gillo; L Liebman; M Chalfie Two functionally dependent acetylcholine subunits are encoded in a single Caenorhabditis elegans operon. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1998;95(26):15492-5.

M Chalfie Genome sequencing. The worm revealed. Nature 1998;396(6712):620-1.

M Chalfie; E M Jorgensen C. elegans neuroscience: genetics to genome. Trends in genetics : TIG 1998;14(12):506-12.

A Duggan; C Ma; M Chalfie Regulation of touch receptor differentiation by the Caenorhabditis elegans mec-3 and unc-86 genes. Development (Cambridge, England) 1998;125(20):4107-19.

M Chalfie Is the traditional way of teaching three-factor mapping sufficient? Trends in genetics : TIG 1997;13(3):94-5.

M Chalfie A molecular model for mechanosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Biological bulletin 1997;192(1):125.

D H Hall; G Gu; J García-Añoveros; L Gong; M Chalfie; M Driscoll Neuropathology of degenerative cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 1997;17(3):1033-45.

G Gu; G A Caldwell; M Chalfie Genetic interactions affecting touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1996;93(13):6577-82.

C C Lai; K Hong; M Kinnell; M Chalfie; M Driscoll Sequence and transmembrane topology of MEC-4, an ion channel subunit required for mechanotransduction in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of cell biology 1996;133(5):1071-81.

H Du; G Gu; C M William; M Chalfie Extracellular proteins needed for C. elegans mechanosensation. Neuron 1996;16(1):183-94.

M Huang; G Gu; E L Ferguson; M Chalfie A stomatin-like protein necessary for mechanosensation in C. elegans. Nature 1995;378(6554):292-5.

M Chalfie; S Eddy; M O Hengartner; J Hodgkin; Y Kohara; R H Plasterk; R H Waterston; J G White Genome maps. VI. Caenorhabditis elegans. Wall chart. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1995;270(5235):415-30.

M Chalfie Green fluorescent protein. Photochemistry and photobiology 1995;62(4):651-6.

M Treinin; M Chalfie A mutated acetylcholine receptor subunit causes neuronal degeneration in C. elegans. Neuron 1995;14(4):871-7.

J García-Añoveros; C Ma; M Chalfie Regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans degenerin proteins by a putative extracellular domain. Current biology : CB 1995;5(4):441-8.

A Duggan; M Chalfie Control of neuronal development in Caenorhabditis elegans. Current opinion in neurobiology 1995;5(1):6-9.

M Chalfie The differentiation and function of the touch receptor neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Progress in brain research 1995;105():179-82.

C Savage; Y Xue; S Mitani; D Hall; R Zakhary; M Chalfie Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans beta-tubulin gene mec-7: effects on microtubule assembly and stability and on tubulin autoregulation. Journal of cell science 1994;107 ( Pt 8)():2165-75.

M Chalfie; Y Tu; G Euskirchen; W W Ward; D C Prasher Green fluorescent protein as a marker for gene expression. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1994;263(5148):802-5.

M Huang; M Chalfie Gene interactions affecting mechanosensory transduction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 1994;367(6462):467-70.

S Mitani; H Du; D H Hall; M Driscoll; M Chalfie Combinatorial control of touch receptor neuron expression in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development (Cambridge, England) 1993;119(3):773-83.

M Chalfie Touch receptor development and function in Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of neurobiology 1993;24(10):1433-41.

D Xue; Y Tu; M Chalfie Cooperative interactions between the Caenorhabditis elegans homeoproteins UNC-86 and MEC-3. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1993;261(5126):1324-8.

M Chalfie Homeobox genes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Current opinion in genetics & development 1993;3(2):275-7.

M Chalfie; M Driscoll; M Huang Degenerin similarities. Nature 1993;361(6412):504.

D Xue; M Finney; G Ruvkun; M Chalfie Regulation of the mec-3 gene by the C.elegans homeoproteins UNC-86 and MEC-3. The EMBO journal 1992;11(13):4969-79.

M Driscoll; M Chalfie Developmental and abnormal cell death in C. elegans. Trends in neurosciences 1992;15(1):15-9.

M Driscoll; M Chalfie The mec-4 gene is a member of a family of Caenorhabditis elegans genes that can mutate to induce neuronal degeneration. Nature 1991;349(6310):588-93.

C Savage; M Chalfie Genetic aspects of microtubule biology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell motility and the cytoskeleton 1991;18(3):159-63.

M Chalfie; E Wolinsky The identification and suppression of inherited neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 1990;345(6274):410-6.

C Li; M Chalfie Organogenesis in C. elegans: positioning of neurons and muscles in the egg-laying system. Neuron 1990;4(5):681-95.

M Driscoll; E Dean; E Reilly; E Bergholz; M Chalfie Genetic and molecular analysis of a Caenorhabditis elegans beta-tubulin that conveys benzimidazole sensitivity. The Journal of cell biology 1989;109(6 Pt 1):2993-3003.

M Chalfie Caenorhabditis elegans development. Current opinion in cell biology 1989;1(6):1122-6.

J C Way; M Chalfie The mec-3 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans requires its own product for maintained expression and is expressed in three neuronal cell types. Genes & development 1989;3(12A):1823-33.

C Savage; M Hamelin; J G Culotti; A Coulson; D G Albertson; M Chalfie mec-7 is a beta-tubulin gene required for the production of 15-protofilament microtubules in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genes & development 1989;3(6):870-81.

M Chalfie; M Au Genetic control of differentiation of the Caenorhabditis elegans touch receptor neurons. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1989;243(4894 Pt 1):1027-33.

J C Way; M Chalfie mec-3, a homeobox-containing gene that specifies differentiation of the touch receptor neurons in C. elegans. Cell 1988;54(1):5-16.

M Chalfie; S A Siegelbaum Stephen M. Schuetze (1951-1987). Trends in neurosciences 1988;11(5):212-3.

W W Walthall; M Chalfie Cell-cell interactions in the guidance of late-developing neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1988;239(4840):643-5.

M Chalfie; E Dean; E Reilly; K Buck; J N Thomson Mutations affecting microtubule structure in Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of cell science. Supplement 1986;5():257-71.

M Chalfie; J E Sulston; J G White; E Southgate; J N Thomson; S Brenner The neural circuit for touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 1985;5(4):956-64.

M Chalfie; J N Thomson; J E Sulston Induction of neuronal branching in Caenorhabditis elegans. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1983;221(4605):61-3.

H R Horvitz; M Chalfie; C Trent; J E Sulston; P D Evans Serotonin and octopamine in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1982;216(4549):1012-4.

M Chalfie; J N Thomson Structural and functional diversity in the neuronal microtubules of Caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of cell biology 1982;93(1):15-23.

M Chalfie Microtubule structure in Caenorhabditis elegans neurons. Cold Spring Harbor symposia on quantitative biology 1982;46 Pt 1():255-61.

M Chalfie; H R Horvitz; J E Sulston Mutations that lead to reiterations in the cell lineages of C. elegans. Cell 1981;24(1):59-69.

M Chalfie; J Sulston Developmental genetics of the mechanosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Developmental biology 1981;82(2):358-70.

M Chalfie; J N Thomson Organization of neuronal microtubules in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of cell biology 1979;82(1):278-89.

M Chalfie; L Settipani; R L Perlman The role of cyclic adenosine 3’:5’-monophosphate in the regulation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity. Molecular pharmacology 1979;15(2):263-70.

M Chalfie; L Settipani; R L Perlman Activation of tyrosine 3-mono-oxygenase in pheochromocytoma cells by lasalocid. Biochemical pharmacology 1978;27(5):673-7.

R L Perlman; M Chalfie Catecholamine release from the adrenal medulla. Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism 1977;6(3):551-76.

M Chalfie; R L Perlman Inhibition of catecholamine synthesis and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activation in pheochromocytoma cells by diphenylhydantoin. Journal of neurochemistry 1977;29(4):757-9.

M Chalfie; R L Perlman Regulation of catecholamine biosynthesis in a transplantable rat pheochromocytoma. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics 1977;200(3):588-97.

M Chalfie; D Hoadley; S Pastan; R L Perlman Calcium uptake into rat pheochromocytoma cells. Journal of neurochemistry 1976;27(6):1405-9.

M Chalfie; R L Perlman Studies of a transplantable rat pheochromocytoma: biochemical characterization and catecholamine secretion. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics 1976;197(3):615-22.



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    University Professor
    Columbia University, New York