Bilirubin glow

Bilirubin tests in jaundiced babies are commonplace in maternity wards but involve multiple steps and vary in reliability. RIKEN Brain Science Institute researchers have now found that a fluorescent protein identified in eels potently binds bilirubin and might provide a simpler and more reliable diagnostic.¹ Convincing hospitals to invest in a new detection device, however, might turn out to be a bigger challenge than developing the assay.

In searching for the source of the green glow in Japanese unagi eels (Anguilla japonica), the RIKEN researchers pinpointed a protein called UnaG. UnaG is the first fluorescent protein identified in a vertebrate-previous ones were found in jellyfish or bacteria...