Friday, March 25, 2005

great glowing green bunnies!



"French genetic researchers created Alba for artist Eduardo Kac. Thanks to genes borrowed from a jellyfish, the albino rabbit glows green when placed under special lighting. In regular light, Alba appears like any other furry white rabbit. But place her under a black light, and her eyes, whiskers and fur glow a otherworldly green. "GFP Bunny" (green fluorescent protein bunny).



The French scientists created Alba using a process called zygote microinjection. In this process, the scientists plucked a fluorescent protein from a species of fluorescent jellyfish called Aequorea victoria. Then they modified the gene to make its glowing properties twice as powerful. This gene, called EGFG (for enhanced genetic fluorescent gene) was then inserted into a fertilized rabbit egg cell that eventually grew into Alba. As the cell divided, the "green gene also replicated and made its way into every cell of Alba's body.




"Glow in the dark" fish. these genetically modified fish were developed by a Taiwanese aquatic firm, Taikong Group. They are planning to reproduce these fish in numbers and sell them for pets."


-Green Apple.com

I hate to make light of genetic engineering, but wouldn't a glow-in-the-dark Easter Bunny be more efficient at getting around in the dark...hmmm













eXTReMe Tracker