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News & ArtsMonday, September 12, 2011
Health / Cats Glowing Green Cats Resistant to AIDS
Posted by Jen Graves on Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 8:35 AM
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that inserting jellyfish genes (along with monkey genes) into cats makes them grow cells resistant to infections from AIDS. This could lead to breakthroughs in feline and human AIDS research.
3
Just to clarify:
It is the monkey gene insertion that provides ALL the viral resistance. The jellyfish genes are only for in situ fluorescence coloration.
It is the monkey gene insertion that provides ALL the viral resistance. The jellyfish genes are only for in situ fluorescence coloration.
6
I'm excited about what we'll be able to do when we start mucking around in our own genome. Risks sure, but nifty shit as well.
7
I hate to rain on the "wooaah glowing cats!" parade, but try to imagine how it would be to glow. Imagine closing your eyes and finding that darkness is impossible, because your eyelids emit light. Imagine trying to sleep like that.
Even as I understand the usefulness of animal models of disease and know that we currently lack simulations with the same potential, it makes me indescribably queasy. I'm very glad my own research involves killing bacteria at the most.
Even as I understand the usefulness of animal models of disease and know that we currently lack simulations with the same potential, it makes me indescribably queasy. I'm very glad my own research involves killing bacteria at the most.
8
@7 For someone who works with bacteria you should know better!
This is not a bioluminescent gene: these cats don't glow in the dark. They have green fluorescent protein which only glows when hit with light of an appropriate wavelength. They sleep just fine (unless you shine a 395nm wavelength light in their faces while they try).
This is not a bioluminescent gene: these cats don't glow in the dark. They have green fluorescent protein which only glows when hit with light of an appropriate wavelength. They sleep just fine (unless you shine a 395nm wavelength light in their faces while they try).
9
But the point is not to breed generations of disease-resistant, glowing cats.Maybe, but it would be reason enough.
10
I look forward to the day when people will say "I wonder what it must have been like, back when people were vulnerable to HIV and didn't glow under certain kinds of light..."
12
@8, a fuck, I fail. I should have known that it was GFP but I jumped the gun with the "glow" remark.
In a pathetic defense I will say that I was distracted by the upenteenth revision of a manuscript that has to be submitted yesterday. No, that does not excuse the embarrassingly stupid error, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for pointing it out.
In a pathetic defense I will say that I was distracted by the upenteenth revision of a manuscript that has to be submitted yesterday. No, that does not excuse the embarrassingly stupid error, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for pointing it out.
18
@ 12
No worries! I was just giving you a hard time.
I'm a grad student. I know exactly how it feels.
No worries! I was just giving you a hard time.
I'm a grad student. I know exactly how it feels.
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