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Illustration of the superimposed structures of two fluorescent proteins: GFP (green fluorescent protein) and mCherry. Both proteins share a similar beta-barrel fold, which forms a protective barrel-shaped framework around their central chromophoresâ€\the light-absorbing molecules responsible for fluorescence. Despite this structural similarity, their chromophores differ in chemical composition, giving GFP its characteristic green glow and mCherry its red fluorescence. Comparing these structures highlights how subtle changes in the chromophore and surrounding environment can shift the colour of emitted light, a principle widely used in molecular and cellular imaging to label and track biological molecules in living cells