Uhm, yeah, but what's the point?

[nomo]

Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs<br>By Chris Hogg <br>BBC News, Hong Kong<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4605202.stm">news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-...605202.stm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Scientists in Taiwan say they have bred three pigs that glow in the dark.<br><br>They claim that while other researchers have bred partly fluorescent pigs, theirs are the only pigs in the world which are green through and through.<br><br>The pigs are transgenic, created by adding genetic material from jellyfish into a normal pig embryo.<br><br>The researchers hope the pigs will boost the island's stem cell research, as well as helping with the study of human disease.<br><br>The researchers, from National Taiwan University's Department of Animal Science and Technology, say that although the pigs glow, they are otherwise no different from any others.<br><br>Taiwan is not claiming a world first. Others have bred partially fluorescent pigs before. But the researchers insist the three pigs they have produced are better.<br><br>They are the only ones that are green from the inside out. Even their heart and internal organs are green, they say.<br><br>To create them, DNA from jellyfish was added to about 265 pig embryos which were implanted in eight different pigs.<br><br>Four of the pigs became pregnant and three male piglets were born three months ago.<br><br>Green generation<br><br>In daylight the researchers say the pigs' eyes, teeth and trotters look green. Their skin has a greenish tinge.<br><br>In the dark, shine a blue light on them and they glow torch-light bright.<br><br>The scientists will use the transgenic pigs to study human disease. Because the pig's genetic material is green, it is easy to spot.<br><br>So if, for instance, some of its stem cells are injected into another animal, scientists can track how they develop without the need for a biopsy or invasive test.<br><br>But creating them has not been easy. Many of the altered embryos failed to develop.<br><br>The researchers say they hope the new, green pigs will mate with ordinary female pigs to create a new generation - much greater numbers of transgenic pigs for use in research. <br> <p></p><i></i>

[nashvillebrook]

makes me think of Orryx and Crake. <p></p><i></i>

[pugzleyca3]

<br><br>So it will make it easier for farmers to locate their pigs in case they run away after dark? <br><br>What an utterly stupid thing to do to an animal. <br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[anotherdrew]

there's glow in the dark rabitts too I think... available mail order even. why? Since the dawn of time man has dreamt of glow in the dark prey animals for easy night hunting. Now at last we are making an investment to ease our future return to primitivism somewhat. ok, not really. <p></p><i></i>

[Pirx]

the pet store in the mall in 2015 is going to be spectacular!<br><br>and you have an appointment with Dr Moreau next tuesday....<br> <p></p><i></i>

[Jerky]

Seems to be an attempt to create an animal so disgusting, even Asians won't eat it. <br><br>From what I've read, they seem to have achieved this miraculous atrocity by injecting swine embryos with DNA from luminescent jellyfish. <br><br>Hmmm... that sounds suspiciously like the last few chapters of my so-called "love life".<br> <p></p><i></i>

[Pirx]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>that sounds suspiciously like the last few chapters of my so-called "love life<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>Hence the name you selected?<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :p --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":p"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>I can't wait till I can order a squid-like bioluminescence gene therapy for myself with a credit card. <br> <p></p><i></i>

[monster]

they just took a gene out of a jellyfish and stuck it into a pig... how mundane...<br><br>(end sarcasm)<br><br>The Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has been around for a while, it's a pretty standard lab experiment (just google "pGLO"). Not with pigs, mind you, but with <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>E. Coli</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> bacteria. <p></p><i></i>

[PeterofLoneTree]

If such be the case,<br>can "red heifers" be far behind? <p></p><i></i>

[scollon]

Yes irridescent red heifers to match the scarlett woman and the horse of the second horseman of the apocalypse. very fetching. <p></p><i></i>

[alfredo]

Maybe if we end up in a world like Phillip K Dick's "Flow my tears, the policeman said" or Asimov's Slan that luminescense will strike a light... <p></p><i></i>

[marykmusic]

I do not like green eggs and ham!<br>I do not like them, Sam I Am!<br><br>(Another good reason to be vegetarian.) --MaryK <p></p><i></i>