What is pGLO plasmid?

The pGLO plasmid is a small circular piece of DNA that contains the gene to produce green fluorescent protein in the model organism. Within the pGLO plasmid, the gene that codes for GFP is typically linked to a gene promoter of interest.

The pGLO plasmid is used for a variety of different genetically engineered organisms. One of the most famous uses of pGLO was in a fluorescent green rabbit grown in France, but the plasmid is frequently used for much less sensational experiments. For example, when tied to a gene promoter called araC, pGLO plasmids can be placed in bacteria, which subsequently glow green when in the presence of a sugar molecule called arabinose.