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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsScientists Produce Glow-in-the-Dark Cats
When scientists insert rhesus macaque genes plus jellyfish genes into unfertilized cat eggs, the cats that result post-fertilization are resistant to feline immunodeficiency virus, which causes feline AIDS. They also glow fluorescent green under "special" lights. What if you do this to human eggs?
I don't really know, so let's just stick to talking about cat eggs. So yeah: Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have been creating glow-in-the-dark, FIV-resistant cats as part of their research on HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Through gamete-targeted lentiviral transgenesis, the official term for "messing with genes and cat eggs," the scientists don't actually cure the cats of FIV but gain a better understanding of what factors might thwart gene therapies. The glow effect helps scientists to track the activity of the cats' modified genes and cells.
As Mayo researcher Dr. Eric Poeschla told LiveScience, "We want to see if we can protect the domestic cat against its AIDS virus, if we can protect any species, eventually including ours, against its own AIDS virus." His group hopes their research can protect both humans and cats from their respective -IVs. Seems like the glow-in-the-dark aspect could also benefit both species by enabling humans to see their pet cats late at night en route to the bathroom, thereby preventing tripping accidents and cat-smotherings.
I don't really know, so let's just stick to talking about cat eggs. So yeah: Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have been creating glow-in-the-dark, FIV-resistant cats as part of their research on HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Through gamete-targeted lentiviral transgenesis, the official term for "messing with genes and cat eggs," the scientists don't actually cure the cats of FIV but gain a better understanding of what factors might thwart gene therapies. The glow effect helps scientists to track the activity of the cats' modified genes and cells.
As Mayo researcher Dr. Eric Poeschla told LiveScience, "We want to see if we can protect the domestic cat against its AIDS virus, if we can protect any species, eventually including ours, against its own AIDS virus." His group hopes their research can protect both humans and cats from their respective -IVs. Seems like the glow-in-the-dark aspect could also benefit both species by enabling humans to see their pet cats late at night en route to the bathroom, thereby preventing tripping accidents and cat-smotherings.
And yes, the glow-cats have names: TgCat1, TgCat2, and TgCat3.
http://gawker.com/5839142/scientists-produce-glow+in+the+dark-cats
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Scientists Produce Glow-in-the-Dark Cats (Original Post)
BainsBane
Jun 2013
OP
if they could just glow all the time, then i would see them at night on dark roads
loli phabay
Jun 2013
#2
Imagine the implications of introducing something like that into the food chain.
Buns_of_Fire
Jun 2013
#4
Warpy
(111,415 posts)1. If I ever get another kitty
after the old lady goes on to her final reward, I want one of those. I hate stepping on a snoozing cat in the wrong part of the floor on my way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. If they glowed, I could see them.
BainsBane
(53,112 posts)6. Might be a trade off
in mousing ability if the mice can see kitty coming at night.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)2. if they could just glow all the time, then i would see them at night on dark roads
LuvNewcastle
(16,864 posts)3. I never knew there was a feline AIDS. I learn something
every day on DU.
Buns_of_Fire
(17,209 posts)4. Imagine the implications of introducing something like that into the food chain.
Yeah, I know it doesn't work that way. Today. But tomorrow...?
BainsBane
(53,112 posts)5. They are doing some really weird shit
like cockroaches that have wires growing out of them people can control. Here are florescent fish. You can actually buy some of these creatures.
http://www.theworld.org/2012/09/glow-in-the-dark-fish/