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Disease resistant glow in the dark cats! (Coming soon to a theatre near you)
TheClaw
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I saw this in the news. Thought it was interesting. I'm curious what other people's opinions are about genetically altering animals. Or just genetic altering in general.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/334271/description/Cats_engineered_for_disease_resistance
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/334271/description/Cats_engineered_for_disease_resistance
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This is pretty much went through my mind at first as well. Sure I should be thinking "Wow, yay for science." Or, "I wonder what the ethical implications of this will be?"
Instead, I thought "You're a kitty!"
Transgenic kittens: adorable
Hey, I'm entitled to a little cognitive dissonance once in a while. It's not like I'm a perfectly rational actor regarding cats anyway.
Dog - http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/07/27/korean-scientists-produce-glow-in-dark-dog/
Tobbacco - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,962873,00.html
Pig - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4605202.stm
My kitten is augmented
Are puppies that different?
...we made "glow in the dark cats" back in 2007.
Not saying it isn't interesting, but it must have been a slow science news day if they want to recycle this...I haven't delved into the story too deeply but I don't know what is so different or special about this new GFP kitty as opposed to the old ones.
GFP is a pretty common reporter gene in eukaryotes that we use to make it easier to identify whether your transgene experiment worked so you don't have to run a PCR every time- you just shine a UV light on them (and with some GFP, you don't even need that much!). I think my lab has some GFP Tribolium beetles, but I don't work with them.
Obviously, I am all in favor of any sort of transgenic experiment, although the new hotness right now isn't retroviral insertion, it is RNAi.
Personally I am sad that these things don't actually light up like fireflies, although that is a more complex system, and not one I think can be easily transfected into whole new organism.
Still, I wouldn't mind seeing more transgenic animals on the consumer market- I think it could go a long way towards easing people's minds about transgenic experiments in general.
Damnit I want animals that are actually bioluminescent!
Edit: I know there are exceptions to this statement.
That's a hell of a lot harder than sticking a single gene into an animal's DNA strand.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1350708/Genetically-modified-mosquitoes-released-Malaysia-sparks-fears-uncontrollable-new-species.html
To me that stuff sounds dangerous. Of course there is a side of me however that wonders what happens when we mix something like that with something like this:
http://vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/“zombie”-ants-fall-victim-to-mind-control-fungus/
So genetic altering + mind controling fungus = ?
Welcome to the apocolypse *DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN*
Do you eat strawberries? Genetically altered with fish proteins to resist freezing
Do you eat potatoes? Genetically altered with BT Toxin to resist pests.
This shit is really really common.
This, this right here. I've tripped over more than a few I'd love any future cat of mine to actually glow in the dark at night. I really think we need to invent some sort of new word to describe this current crop of animals since it's really like when they take a blacklight into a motel room to look for all the stains that don't wash out. Very different from introducing bioluminescence into a complex living organism that had nothing like it before.
Which is why I gave the caveat that it is a "more complex system"
Let me lay it out- I am working in insect molecular biology right now.
If anyone could make something with firefly level bioluminescence, it would be me
Unfortunately, it ain't possible, and thus we are all a bit sad
I know. That's why I'm kind of on the fence about it (just my opinion on the matter). I mean scientifically I think it's interesting. I think the goal is reasonable if you think about it helping people. The geek in me thinks it's pretty rad to wonder where it could lead. But seeing as how it's so common, and seeing as how, given mankind's nature, it will inevitably continue and grow to other areas, I find it difficult to not be a little wary. Human beings (and governments especially), don't exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to not abusing science (or anything really). Sort of the same way some people view guns: Cool, but also very dangerous. It's a complex issue, hence the post.
You cannot remove that which was never there in the first place.
So cute! You're a kitty!
Lol, awesome. I need a house honey badger. I'll give it a badger house in my front yard and put a sign that says "Beware of Badger"
I'm all for genetic manipulation of animals and plants.
Imagine how helpful that glow in the dark thingy would be for searching for children that are missing.
Hmm, what about creating a modified firefly that seek out and live in tiny, tiny subdermal pockets under the skin of an animal modified to secret extra sugars (or whatever fireflies need) through their sweat?
...
Probably a good thing I'm not a geneticist.
The glow in the dark isn't the point this time, its just what people are fixated on. The point is injecting genes to help with FIV resistance...the glow in the dark genes got attached as a "Yep, the genes got delivered" visual cue.
What you are looking for is bioluminescent bacteria, which is how lots of bioluminescent animals glow, already.
The so-called "symbiotic" relationship
Me too. I consider myself open-minded and would completely support the kitten's chosen lifestyle.
SQUEEEEE!!!!!
That isn't what is happening. Try reading the linked article.
And, hunting skills for a household pet? What?
Also, handbag dogs aren't made through advanced genetic tinkering, just good ol' fashioned animal husbandry, you know, what we've been doing for 10,000 years.
The glow under a specific florescent light!
chameleon + cat
you will never feel safe inside your own home again
Vanity? Humans have been selecting for traits in other species for thousands of years, this is simply an acceleration of that process of trait selection.
Although, granted, we've never had jellyfish mate with mammals before...
There are species of dogs that exist today (regardless of genetic engineering), that are completely reliant on humans, as they are unable to hunt as their ancestors did. They can't survive otherwise.