South Koreans Clone Cats That Glow in the Dark
In the news today is the announcement that South Koreans have cloned cats with altered fluorescence proteins (RFP). The idea is to be able to eventually develop treatments for human genetic diseases. Researchers are also suggesting that other uses for this technology will include rescuing species from near-extinction.
And, as an added side bonus, the cats glow when exposed to when exposed to ultraviolet beams. They certainly look kind of cool.
Of course, I suspect South Korea and the scientists themselves are on edge, given the Hwang Woo-Suk scandals - but all things considered, that whole thing probably makes this particular achievement all the more likely to be true.
-Kelly Hills
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It is also likely to be true because other labs have been doing it to other mammal species (rabbits, pigs) for over a decade now...
- by emily on Dec 13, 2007 at 2:48 PM | link
True Emily - I actually wasn't thinking the RFP bit true, so much - that, scarily enough, is the sort of basic bioengineering technique they're teaching in high schools these days, as I was the cloning of cats, which has always been questionably difficult.
I figure it's a cat, of course it's difficult. That's sort of the definition of cat.
;-)
-Kelly
- by Kelly on Dec 13, 2007 at 5:53 PM | link
And the cloning bit is tricky to... of course that didn't stop commercial pet cat cloning being available (i.e. I love cats so much I will pay to have a few dozen miscarried or born defomred so I can get a clone of one). I know it is about the technique, but I can't help thinking that reproducing is something cats do more than enough of unaided ;)
- by emily on Dec 14, 2007 at 8:59 AM | link