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Scientists create glow in the dark cats....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071212...eskoreacloning

Quote:

South Korean scientists have cloned cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene, a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases, officials said Wednesday.

In a side-effect, the cloned cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet beams.

A team of scientists led by Kong Il-keun, a cloning expert at Gyeongsang National University, produced three cats possessing altered fluorescence protein (RFP) genes, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

"It marked the first time in the world that cats with RFP genes have been cloned," the ministry said in a statement.

"The ability to produce cloned cats with the manipulated genes is significant as it could be used for developing treatments for genetic diseases and for reproducing model (cloned) animals suffering from the same diseases as humans," it added.

The cats were born in January and February. One was stillborn while two others grew to become adult Turkish Angoras, weighing 3.0 kilogrammes (6.6 pounds) and 3.5 kilogrammes.

"This technology can be applied to clone animals suffering from the same diseases as humans," the leading scientist, Kong, told AFP.

"It will also help develop stemcell treatments," he said, noting that cats have some 250 kinds of genetic diseases that affect humans, too.

The technology can also help clone endangered animals like tigers, leopards and wildcats, Kong said.

South Korea's bio-engineering industry suffered a setback after a much-touted achievement by cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk turned out to have been faked.

The government banned Hwang from research using human eggs after his claims that he created the first human stem cells through cloning were ruled last year to be bogus.

Hwang is standing trial on charges of fraud and embezzlement.

Great...now we have glow in the dark cats...maybe they'll eat those glow in the dark fish?

Here's what they look like:
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/...lt-385x541.jpg

Meanwhile, people are dying every day of cancer and other rare diseases. Where does the medical funding go? Glow...in the dark cats.

...can I have a glow in the dark penis? I want my own personal lightsaber.

Lame O Rama, waste of money.

Ai: HAHAHAH!!

http://www.epguides.de/alf.jpg

"HA!! Now I can snack in the Dark! I kill me!"

How can you guys call this a waste of money? Yeah, the end product in this case hardly seems productive on the surface, but that's not what the research is about. I mean the article even lays it out, this is about manipulation of the genes themselves, something that is not a waste of time. This is just one of the first steps, it is simply paving the way for more practical applications.

:lol: I can totally see a comic book superhero inspired from this -- glow in the dark CAT MAN, defender of truth, justice, and the R.O.K. He can face off against "ronery" Kim Jong Il.

But yeah, it's not like these guys were trying to produce glow-in-the-dark kitties -- luminosity in this case was a purely unexpected side effect.

Whereas in the case of glow-in-the-dark potatoes, that was the aim.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ai (Post 577264)

...can I have a glow in the dark penis? I want my own personal lightsaber.

Trouble finding it in the dark?

Heeeeeey....

They could use that kinda thing for Glow-in-the-dark Christmas trees or something... :P

I wondering if giving cats heavy water from a nuclear reactor would have the same effect?

OMG... Glowy kitties! :3 I would SO buy one! Cause I could. OH. But yeah, it's just the first steps, and it will eventually become something good for humankind. I know, but we can't just cure cancer with millions of dolllars in research in a few months. :3 *pets glowy kitties*