Biotech: January 2006 Archives

Three little glowing pigs

Once upon a time when three little pigs didn't glow in the dark.
Now, where they can hide?

From BBC News:

Pigs and chickens that glow in the dark may signal a new era for the farm yard.pigs glow

Transgenic pigs and chickens have been produced at Roslin using lentivectors to carry the green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) - a gene found naturally in jellyfish.
Both chickens and pigs carrying the gene can be detected in normal light by their slight greenish tinge, but when viewed in blue light, all areas not covered with hair or feathers are seen to glow torch-light bright.

In the case of chickens, this is the feet and head; and in pigs, it is the ears, snout, trotters and testicles.

The green fluorescent protein marker gene means we can see instantly if an animal is carrying the gene; there is no need for any biopsies or tests, and as far as we know all of the animals are normal in every other way," said Dr Whitelaw.

 

So with this new technology can detect when animals are normal, or infected with some virus (like asian flu). 

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This page is a archive of entries in the Biotech category from January 2006.

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