Showing posts with label glow-in-the-dark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glow-in-the-dark. Show all posts

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Turn on the Bright Lights, Baby...

First, there were glowing cats.






Then, reports of glowing dogs.









Now, glowing marmosets;









The gene for express the green fluorescent protein in their skin was delivered to the first marmoset embryos via a modified virus, but the significant news here is that the genetically modified primates that can pass their modifications to their offspring; it is the first known case that an introduced gene has been successfully inherited by the next generation in primates. Why is that important? Because medical researchers have yearned for an animal model that is closer to the human anatomy; researchers may now be able to produce whole groups of marmosets that mimic humans with diseases like cystic fibrosis or Alzheimers'.

While this breakthrough is exciting, warning bells have sounded that this is one step closer to the creation of human designer babies. So, let me know pose this question: How comforting or discomforting would it be to see your baby glowing the dark?

Sunday, December 16, 2007

watching the cats that glow in the dark

A video followup to the posts about glowing cats:


-Kelly
[cross-posted to the AJOB blog]

Thursday, December 13, 2007

looking for cats that glow in the dark

Up over on the AJOBlog is a post about the latest in South Korean cloning: cats that have bee genetically modified to glow in the dark. It's certainly coming in under the wire for "coolest things to happen in 2007", but made it.

The practical part of my brain saw the pictures and immediately thought "what a wonderful way to find your cat when it's hiding!" ...but that just might be me.
-Kelly