Scientists Use Jellyfish DNA to Engineer a Glow-in-the-Dark Pig
[vimeo=82227865]
A team of Chinese scientists has successfully created a small herd of glow-in-the-dark piglets.
Last week, while you were stuffing your face with Christmas candy, a group of scientists from the South China Agricultural University made the oddest of holiday announcements: they have successfully created a glow-in-the-dark pig.
So far, ten piglets have been given the glow-in-the-dark treatment, which involves injecting a fluorescent protein into the pig embryos. Once the embryos have matured into full-fledged piglets, they will glow green under a black light.
The glowing proteins are derived from a strand of jellyfish DNA, a technique that was developed by the University of Hawaii at Manua School of Medicine. Similar methods have already been used to create endangered wildcats in New Orleans [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126899-Glowing-Bunnies-Born-in-Turkey].
Creating a brood of glowing animals may sound a little strange, but these researchers actually do have an end game. Eventually, this kind of genetic engineering will be used to manufacture more efficient medicines. "[For] patients who suffer from hemophilia and they need the blood-clotting enzymes in their blood," explains Dr. Moisyadi, an associate professor at the Institute for Biogenesis Research, "we can make those enzymes a lot cheaper in animals rather than a factory that will cost millions of dollars to build."
Thankfully, the piglets are expected to live long and happy lives--unless someone has a hankerin' for some glow-in-the-dark bacon.
Source: The Verge [http://www.manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=6197]
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[vimeo=82227865]
A team of Chinese scientists has successfully created a small herd of glow-in-the-dark piglets.
Last week, while you were stuffing your face with Christmas candy, a group of scientists from the South China Agricultural University made the oddest of holiday announcements: they have successfully created a glow-in-the-dark pig.
So far, ten piglets have been given the glow-in-the-dark treatment, which involves injecting a fluorescent protein into the pig embryos. Once the embryos have matured into full-fledged piglets, they will glow green under a black light.
The glowing proteins are derived from a strand of jellyfish DNA, a technique that was developed by the University of Hawaii at Manua School of Medicine. Similar methods have already been used to create endangered wildcats in New Orleans [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126899-Glowing-Bunnies-Born-in-Turkey].
Creating a brood of glowing animals may sound a little strange, but these researchers actually do have an end game. Eventually, this kind of genetic engineering will be used to manufacture more efficient medicines. "[For] patients who suffer from hemophilia and they need the blood-clotting enzymes in their blood," explains Dr. Moisyadi, an associate professor at the Institute for Biogenesis Research, "we can make those enzymes a lot cheaper in animals rather than a factory that will cost millions of dollars to build."
Thankfully, the piglets are expected to live long and happy lives--unless someone has a hankerin' for some glow-in-the-dark bacon.
Source: The Verge [http://www.manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=6197]
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