Genetically-modified glow-in-the-dark kitty

[emad]

Scientists have genetically modified three kittens so they appear fluorescent under ultra-violet light in a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases.

A team of scientists led by Kong Il-keun at Gyeongsang National University, South Korea, cloned the cats after manipulating a gene to change their skin colour.

The fluffy white Turkish Angora cats now glow red when exposed to ultraviolet light and the scientists believe the process could be used to develop treatments for a range of genetic illnesses. The technology can also help clone endangered animals like tigers, leopards and wildcats.

To clone the cats the team used skin cells of the mother cat and modified its genes to make them fluorescent by using a virus, which was transplanted into the ova. The ova were then implanted into the womb of the donor cat.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/13/ncat113.xml

[SacredCow]

1. I'm not a cat person, as a rule.....

but I REALLY wouldn't want a cat in the tanning bed with me!

[rug]

2. They used mitochondria from Rudolph's nose.

[ThomCat]

3. Those poor cats.

:(

I hope they're well cared for and well loved. I hope that they aren't subject to genetic defects and diseases. They live their entire lives in labs. That's so sad.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Post it in GD.

They'll fucking flip out.

[AllegroRondo]

5. A room full of these cats, and a black light.

:smoke:

wow

[Deja Q]

7. And some people allergic to them!

[Deja Q]

6. The possibilities are endless!

* horror movies won't need to rely on CGI anymore!
* race changes! Tired of being white? Flick a gene and you're honky no more!
* glow in the dark people (that'll kill the glow in the dark condom industry)!

I wonder what prey species, capable of seeing into a wider spectrum, might have to say about this frankendevelopment... okay, they'd probably like it. Especially birds...

[psychmommy]

9. i wanna glow in the dark.

if i glow in the dark i could be my own night-light.

[emad]

64. My husband thinks glow-in-the-dark human genitals might be next!

Just think of the advantages!

[AllegroRondo]

10. theres a glow-in-the-dark condom industry?

why wasnt I informed?

[krispos42]

8. Great. Can they make deer glow-in-the-dark now?

Think of the highway safety!!!

[Bucky]

12. not if their glow is that same shade of orange

For some reason I get the sense that glow in the dark game animals the same color as hunters' orange safety vests is a bad idea. Not exactly sure what complications could come out of it, but it just seems risky, somehow.

[krispos42]

18. Like that scene in "Hot Shots!"

"If it helps, I didn't have seconds..."


:rofl:

[billyskank]

11. Now you'll always be able to see your cat at a rave.

[Bucky]

13. That, mi amigos, is officially some sick shit.

Whatever the scientists were intending with this, the obvious commercial applications of glowing pet kitten factories is where the science will be headed first.

[Mutley]

14. Great.

I wonder what they're going to do to those kittens now. :(

[BrklynLiberal]

15. Nothing humane, I would guess.

[Qanisqineq]

16. I agree, nothing nice

I live in Korea, they don't treat animals well here. Even their beloved pet dogs, I see physically abused regularly.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. use them to develop treatment for a range of human illnesses.

:shrug:

[Mutley]

21. Humans are smart creatures.

I don't see why they can't find a way to cure illness without inflicting pain on other living things.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Then by all means...

come up with a cure for an illness without using animal testing.

[Mutley]

23. Unfortunately, I am not a doctor.

Nor do I have the type of mind that is capable of understanding the higher sciences. I hope that doesn't mean I am not allowed an opinion.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. That's true.

The doctors and scientists all know that animal research is unfortunately necessary for new treatments of human illnesses. It's really not a matter of opinion.

[Mutley]

25. How many have actually tried to find another way?

How many use animal testing because it is the most convenient method at this point in time?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. Many.

But if you happen to know a way that thousands upon thousands of doctors and scientists don't know about, please be sure to mention it. I'm sure they'd be very interested.

[Mutley]

29. I don't think the snark is necessary.

Yes, I have an opinion about something I don't fully comprehend. Is that something for which I should apologize?

I also have opinions about politics and about the way this country should be run. But I don't necessarily fully comprehend every tiny detail in the process. Perhaps I shouldn't bother voting anymore?

I am after all of average to moderate intelligence, and I am not capable, nor do I have the time, to become an expert in every area in which I have an interest. I congratulate you if you have attained such a status in your life.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

30. "Is that something for which I should apologize?"

If you're going to talk about stuff you obviously don't know about, and just make things up, like animal research being performed as a matter of convenience, then yes, I think it is.

[Mutley]

33. So, there isn't a single doctor on the face of this planet

who uses animal research because it's convenient?

I don't think I'm the only one making things up.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

35. I doubt it.

Because animal research is anything but convenient.

This sounds like the pro-life argument about all the slutty women running around having abortions as their preferred choice of convenient birth control.

[Mutley]

40. I see.

First, I'm compared to members of PETA. Now, I'm compared to Republicans. All because I don't feel the same way about animal testing as you do. All because I expressed sadness at the fate of a few innocent kittens.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

41. Yes, there are clear similarites.

"All because I expressed sadness at the fate of a few innocent kittens."

That's not the reason at all.

[Mutley]

44. You started out flaming me because I expressed

sadness at the fate of those kittens.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

47. I didn't flame you at all.

You wondered what they were doing with the kitties, I explained it to you.

Please drop the "help, help, I'm being oppressed" routine.

[Mutley]

50. You compared me with an organization that is one step away from

being criminal, and you came as close to calling me a Republican as you can get without actually saying the words. I consider that flaming.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

51. Yes.

You're propagating the myth that animal testing is unnecessary. That's not flaming, that's a valid comparison.

[Mutley]

54. Are you a scientist?

What makes you so sure that there is no other way that will ever be possible?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

58. No, I'm much worse than that.

I'm a retired high school science teacher.

BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!

[Deep13]

63. You're the one who has been making baby Jesus cry...

...by teaching evolution!

[Deep13]

62. What do you mean by convenient?

If you mean it works, then yes they all do.

[Deep13]

28. Nevertheless they can't.

Regardless of PETA's lies on the subject, medical research pretty much is animal experiments.

[Mutley]

31. What does PETA have to do with it?

I am not a member of PETA, nor do I condone their methods. :shrug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. They're the lead proponents of the myth...

that animal research is unnecessary.

[Mutley]

34. Yes, but what does that have to do with me?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

36. You seem to have subscribed to the myth.

[Mutley]

37. Oh, because I share an opinion with PETA?

I suppose it's impossible that I could have come that conclusion on my own long before I ever knew anything about PETA at all?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

38. You share a mistake with PETA.

It's possible you came to the wrong conclusion on your own.

[Mutley]

42. Maybe wrong, maybe right.

It's still my opinion to have, and my conclusion to make. I don't go around trying to put people out of business as PETA does. Because I don't fully understand the situation, I don't actively protest animal research. I just quietly go about my business and feel pity for the beings that have to suffer for our benefit. I'm sorry you feel that's a bad thing.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

43. Clearly wrong. Opinion's got nothing to do with it.

[Mutley]

45. And that is your conclusion to make.

[Deep13]

46. Well to answer your question...

...they are principally responsible for spreading misinformation about the necessity of animal research. In particular, they have been telling people that animal tests are never valid because humans are not other animals. I don't have time to go into it, but it is simply not true. Further, they claim that computer models and other artificail methods can take the place of animal tests. Again, not true.

[Mutley]

48. But what do I have to do with PETA?

Why does everyone who values the life of animals automatically have to agree with PETA?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

49. I value the life of animals.

So I don't know where you're getting that connection.

[Mutley]

52. I never said you didn't value the life of animals.

I have only spoken about my own opinions. I wouldn't assume to know how you feel about this or anything else. I guess that's the difference between us.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

53. No, you implied it.

With the argument that people who care for animals are being compared with PETA.

[Mutley]

55. No, you inferred it.

You seem to think that I will assume you don't care for animals because we are on opposite sides of this issue. However, I don't make assumptions about how people feel.

on edit: It's time for me to go. It's clear neither of us will change the other's mind, so there isn't much point in repeating ourselves repeatedly. I've said all I have to say on this topic. Have a good day.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

56. LOL

Please don't play dumb.

"Why does everyone who values the life of animals automatically have to agree with PETA?"

[Deep13]

61. Wasn't suggesting you have anything to do with them.

It's not always about you, yah know. :evilgrin:

[Deep13]

27. Clean their box of glowing turds?

:shrug:

[billyskank]

57. I leave you alone for half an hour, and look what you did.

:rofl:

:loveya:

[Enrique]

17. the disease stuff is just an excuse

these people just wanted to make fluorescent cats.

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. This is what happens when mice get funding.

Their next step is for cats to emit non-stop siren sounds.

[emad]

65. I suspected it might be a conspiracy.

LOL!

[Duer 157099]

39. They've already made green-glowing rodents

Wouldn't you like to see both of them in a room together in the dark?

But seriously, this is very important technology from a transgenics perspective -- with transgenics, where you introduce a gene, or a mutated gene, into an animal to study it's effects, it's a big procedure to determine which of the offspring successfully got the gene -- but when the gene is "tagged" with a fluorescent tag such as this red one (or the more usual green one), it's a matter of putting the pups (or kitties) under a UV light to see which ones glow.

Also, it's useful in monitoring how various cells migrate around the body.

Overall, very cool technology -- although all animal-based research is difficult to swallow, but sometimes it's the only way, unfortunately.

[dropkickpa]

66. There's red and green

Invaluable in cancer research. Many mice are injected with fluorescent tumor cells and, using new imaging technology, we are able to track tumor growth and formation in living animals with no need to euthanize until the experiment is done, greatly reducing the total number of animals needed. It also is giving us better clues as to how different types of tumors grow and we have a better way tracking effectiveness of treatments.



Red


Green


Just as a quibble, they do NOT glow in the dark, they fluoresce under a black light.

[Javaman]

59. AKA coyote food. nt

[AnneD]

60. Yes....

but can it still catch mice:crazy:

[Fire Walk With Me]

67. We'z in ur 3 Mile Island

Soakin' up RADz

[tigereye]

68. that is very, very strange...