科研综述

1994年，钱永健开始了对GFP（绿色荧光蛋白，是一种在美国西北海岸所盛产的水母中所发现的一种蛋白质）改造进行研究；后来通过基因突变的方法，让这类原本发出柔弱绿光的蛋白发光变得更明亮、更持续。凭借这项研究成果获得了2008年的诺贝尔化学奖 。此后，钱永健实验室制出了多种蛋白，有的荧光强，有的呈现黄、蓝、红色，有的可激活、可变色，世界上使用的荧光蛋白大多是钱永健实验室改造后的变种。他的研究使荧光蛋白真正成为了生物科学实验中的重要组成部分。

钱永健在英国剑桥大学读研究生时，发明出一种可追踪细胞内钙水平的有机染料，与钙质结合时会戏剧性地改变荧光，染料无需注射即可穿透细胞壁。他对荧光蛋白应用于神经生物学和癌症研究兴趣浓厚。为了能更好地看清并治疗癌症，他与同事设计了一种能携带成像分子或化疗药物靶向癌细胞的U形缩氨酸。还创造了一种让神经元细胞膜上的电信号发出亮光的荧光染料，有助于解密脑细胞的功能与相互作用。

学术论著

根据2022年4月加州大学圣地亚哥分校钱永健实验室网站显示，钱永健先后在《Science》《Nature》《Nature Neuroscience》《Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology》《Nature Methods》等发表论文210多篇 。

Kevin L. Briggman, William B. Kristan, Jesus E. Gonzalez, David Kleinfeld, and Roger Y. Tsien. Chapter 6 - Monitoring Integrated Activity of Individual Neurons Using FRET-Based Voltage-Sensitive Dyes. Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Membrane Potential Imaging in the Nervous System and Heart, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 149-169

B. Albert Griffin , Stephen R. Adams , and Roger Y. Tsien. Chapter 1 - How FlAsH Got Its Sparkle: Historical Recollections of the Biarsenical-Tetracysteine Tag. Springer Science Site-Specific Protein Labeling: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 1266: 1-61

Roger Y. Tsien 2013. Very long-term memories may be stored in the pattern of holes in the perineuronal net. PNAS 110:30

Roger Y. Tsien 2010. Fluorescence readouts of biochemistry in live cells and organisms. In Molecular Imaging: Principles and Practic ed. by R. Weissleder, S.S. Gambhir, B.D. Ross, A. Rehemtulla. People’s Medical Publishing House – USA. Chapter 48, pp. 808-828

Roger Y. Tsien 2009. Constructing and exploiting the fluorescent protein paintbox (Autobiography + Nobel Lecture), in Les Prix Nobel 2008, pp. 171-214. Nobel Lecture reprinted (2009) in Angewandte Chemie Intl. Edition 48: 5612-5626.

Roger Y. Tsien 2009 Constructing and Exploiting the Fluorescent Protein Paintbox (Nobel Lecture). Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 48: 5612 – 5626

Wang, L., and Tsien, R.Y. 2006. Evolving proteins in mammalian cells using somatic hypermutation. Nature Protocols 1: 1346-1350.

Stephen R. Adams & Roger Y. Tsien 2006 Imaging the influx of cell-penetrating peptides into the cytosol of individual cells. Chapter 29 in: Handbook of Cell-Penetrating Peptides, ed by Ulo Langel (2nd edition). CRC 505-512.

Amy E. Palmer and Roger Y. Tsien 2006 Measuring calcium signaling using genetically targetable fluorescent indicators. Nature Protocols, Vol 1: 1057-1065.

Ben N. G. Giepmans, Stephen R. Adams, Mark H. Ellisman & Roger Y. Tsien 2006 The fluorescent toolbox for assessing protein location and function. Science. 312: 217-224.

Zacharias, D.A., and Tsien, R.Y. Molecular biology and mutation of green fluorescent protein. Chapter 5 in: Green Fluorescent Protein: Properties, Applications, and Protocols, ed. by M. Chalfie and S.R. Kain (2nd edition). John Wiley & Sons. This article is listed in Medline as Methods Biochem. Anal. 2006; 47: 83-120

Tsien, R.Y. 2005. Breeding molecules to spy on cells, in The Harvey Lectures: Series 99, 2003-2004. Harvey Society, 2005

Nathan C. Shaner, Paul A. Steinbach, & Roger Y. Tsien. 2005 . A guide to choosing fluorescent proteins, Nature Methods, Vol. 2: 905 – 909

Tsien, R.Y. 2003 Imagining imaging's future. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 4: SS16-SS21

Zhang, J., Campbell, R.E., Ting, A. and Tsien, R.Y. 2002. Creating new fluorescent probes for cell biology. Nature Review Molecular Biology 3: 906-918.

Miyawaki, A., and Tsien, R.Y. 2000. Monitoring protein conformations and interactions by fluorescence resonance energy transfer between mutants of green fluorescent protein. Methods in Enzymology 327: 472-500.

Wu, M.M., Llopis, J., Adams, S., McCaffery, J.M., Teter, K., Kulomaa, M.S., Machen, T.E.,Moore,H.-P.H., and Tsien, R.Y. 2000 Studying organelle physiology with fusion protein-targeted avidin and fluorescent biotin conjugates. Methods in Enzymology.327: 546-564.

Griffin, B.A., Adams, S.R., Jones, J., and Tsien, R.Y. 2000. Fluorescent labeling of recombinant proteins in living cells with FlAsH 2001. Methods in Enzymology. 327: 565-578.

Zacharias, D.A., Baird, G.S., and Tsien, R.Y. 2000. Recent advances in technology for measuring and manipulating cell signals. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 10: 416-421.

Tsien, R.Y. 1999. Monitoring Cell Calcium. In Calcium as a Cellular Regulator, ed. by E. Carafoli and C. Klee. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 28-54.

Tsien, R.Y. 1998. The Green Fluorescent Protein. Annu. Rev. Biochemistry 67: 509-544.

Tsien. R.Y. and Pozzan T. 1989. Measurement of Cytosolic Free Ca2+ with Quin2. Method in Enzymology. 172: 230-244.

荣誉表彰

健康状况

钱永健儿时患有哮喘，不得不尽量避免室外运动。他经常花上数小时在地下实验室中做化学实验。实验产生的鲜艳色彩让他着迷。

家世背景

钱永健的父亲钱学榘是钱学森的堂弟，早年带着庚子赔款支付的奖学金到美国念书。1944年，钱学榘将妻子李懿颖与长子钱永佑（神经生物学家，美国国家科学院院士，斯坦福大学教授）接到美国定居，后生下了二子钱永乐和三子钱永健。事实上，直到钱学森过世，钱永健与钱学森都没见过面。

婚姻家庭

钱永健夫妇

人物语录

在媒体面前公开表示：我是一个美国人，我从小生长在美国，接受美国的教育。血统不能决定一个人的身份，自由的环境才是培养一个科学家的要件。