Scientists Create Glow-In-The-Dark Sheep

 Transgenic Animals  

Using a gene from a jellyfish, allowing them to produce a green fluorescent protein, scientists in Uruguay have announced the world's first genetically-modified phosphorescent sheep. The nine sheep were born in October of 2012 at Uruguay's Institute of Animal Reproduction, an experiment conducted in conjunction with the Institut Pasteur.

W hile you can support a new initiative on Kickstarter to create glow-in-the-dark plants to light our cities naturally, scientists in Uruguay have genetically modified sheep to glow in the dark.

The fluorescent sheep are a world first, the scientists report. The flock of nine lambs was born last October at a farm belonging to the Animal Reproduction Institute of Uruguay (IRAUy), an nonprofit organization affiliated with the Pasteur Institute's genetically modified animals unit. The laboratory incorporated a green fluorescence protein into the genes of the sheep, which will glow when exposed to certain ultraviolet light, making the the ruminants easily identifiable as genetically modified.

Other than glowing green in UV light, the sheep look and behave normally. Scientists modified the sheep's genes with the fluorescent protein of the Aequarea jellyfish.

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Although the term "transgenic" is loaded with myths about animals in the style centaur, the reality is that this is a complex and expensive technique aimed at the cure of diseases in all species, including humans.

"With the development of transgenesis in animals has been advanced in the search for alternatives applicable to medicine, because there are some examples in the world of animals in their milk producing proteins of pharmaceutical interest, such as insulin," said Alejo Menchaca, founder of IRAUy veterinarian who conducted the study along.

"We did not use a protein of medical interest or to help with a particular medicine because we wanted to fine-tune the technique. We used the green protein because the color is easily identifiable in the sheep's tissues," said Menchaca, the head of the research team.

Menchaca said the sheep are living a normal life, perhaps even slightly more luxurious than typical sheep.

"They are out in the field as any other sheep, but in better conditions, not the traditional breeding system. They are well looked after, well fed and very much loved," he said.



SOURCE  Nature World News

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