Glow in the dark kittehs!

[gyeonghwa]

www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/12/glow-in-the-dark-cats-aids_n_958415.html

Scientists are making strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the latest involves … glow-in-the-dark cats.

A Mayo Clinic team has successfully engineered cats to produce a protein that helps their bodies resist the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which causes AIDS in cats. Researchers were able to do this by inserting a monkey gene into feline eggs before they were fertilized with sperm. The genetic engineering has the potential to protect the cats from being infected by FIV.

Because we can!

The team engineered a jellyfish gene into the feline eggs so that they could see if the gene engineering worked -- and it did, as evidenced by the cats' ability to glow in the dark.

The scientists also learned that this genetic protection in the cats can be passed on through generations, because the engineered cats had kittens that were also able to produce proteins that protect against virus invasion.

However, it still remains to be seen if the genetically engineered cats are actually able to resist FIV, though the science is promising, LiveScience reported.

Now, who wants a glow in the dark kitten?

[Vene]

I honestly find it annoying people focus on the fluorescence as if that was the important part of it. It's a standard molecular biology technique and has been in use for years now. There was even a Nobel prize awarded for it a few years back. This is not a novel thing anymore.

[Dragon Zachski]

Sept 14, 2011 14:28:27 GMT -5 Vene said:

I honestly find it annoying people focus on the fluorescence as if that was the important part of it. It's a standard molecular biology technique and has been in use for years now. There was even a Nobel prize awarded for it a few years back. This is not a novel thing anymore.

But... but... but...

Glow in the dark kitties!

But seriously, this sounds awesome. The HIV/FIV part.

[Amaranth]

Holy fuck, that would be creepy coming at me at three in the morning.

[Rat Of Steel]

[MaybeNever]

Sept 14, 2011 14:28:27 GMT -5 Vene said:

I honestly find it annoying people focus on the fluorescence as if that was the important part of it. It's a standard molecular biology technique and has been in use for years now. There was even a Nobel prize awarded for it a few years back. This is not a novel thing anymore.

Just because something is old doesn't mean it's not awesome, even if it's totally secondary. Besides, cat + other interesting thing = incredibly interesting thing.

[Undecided]

Sept 15, 2011 23:30:56 GMT -5 MaybeNever said:

Sept 14, 2011 14:28:27 GMT -5 Vene said:

I honestly find it annoying people focus on the fluorescence as if that was the important part of it. It's a standard molecular biology technique and has been in use for years now. There was even a Nobel prize awarded for it a few years back. This is not a novel thing anymore.

Just because something is old doesn't mean it's not awesome, even if it's totally secondary. Besides, cat + other interesting thing = incredibly interesting thing.

Public sees glowing animals --> public supports future fundamental research in molecular biology

[DeadpanDoubter]

The comments section disagrees, Undecided.

[Amaranth]

Sept 16, 2011 18:50:40 GMT -5 DeadpanDoubter said:

The comments section disagrees, Undecided.

DEMON KITTEH!

FAR WERS DEN LAZOR KITTEH

[DeadpanDoubter]

Sept 16, 2011 19:10:55 GMT -5 Amaranth said:

Sept 16, 2011 18:50:40 GMT -5 DeadpanDoubter said:

The comments section disagrees, Undecided.

DEMON KITTEH!

FAR WERS DEN LAZOR KITTEH

No, it's more the "HOMG EVIL SCIENTISTS TORTURING KITTIES LIKE THEY DO RATS HOW DARE THEY KITTIES ARE PETS!!!"

[Amaranth]

Sept 16, 2011 19:13:34 GMT -5 DeadpanDoubter said:

Sept 16, 2011 19:10:55 GMT -5 Amaranth said:

DEMON KITTEH!

FAR WERS DEN LAZOR KITTEH

No, it's more the "HOMG EVIL SCIENTISTS TORTURING KITTIES LIKE THEY DO RATS HOW DARE THEY KITTIES ARE PETS!!!"

i liekz 2 pet kittehz

[Mira]

Rats are way better pets than cats anyway.

[Amaranth]

Sept 16, 2011 19:19:50 GMT -5 Mira said:

Rats are way better pets than cats anyway.

Bite your tongue.

[MaybeNever]

Sept 16, 2011 19:19:50 GMT -5 Mira said:

Rats are way better pets than cats anyway.

Lies. Rats are awesome, but they are not better than cats.

[Dragon Zachski]

Rats and cats are equally awesome as evidenced by the fact that they have 75% of the same letters.