Just in Time for Halloween: Glow-in-the-Dark Cats!
Mr Green Genes under normal light:
Mr Green Genes in the dark:
Mr Green Genes, a 6-month-old orange tabby, is the first glow-in-the-dark cat born in the United States.
Under normal light, he looks like any other orange tabby. But turn on the black light, and just like a vintage black velvet Elvis poster, Mr Green Gene’s eyes, gums and tongue glow a vivid lime green, the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species. (No, he hasn’t been injected with anything; he’s been bred for this.)
The researchers developed him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into the feline’s genetic sequence to create what is formally known as a transgenic cat. If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to combat diseases via gene therapy.
The Audubon scientists want to use their technique to develop a gene-therapy treatment for cystic fibrosis, an incurable hereditary disease for which there are no gene-therapy models. The fluorescence gene will go alongside the cystic-fibrosis gene and make it easy to spot. The long-term goal of this process, for which there is no timetable, is the production of a “knockout gene.”
Next up for Mr. Green Genes: life as a boy toy. He’ll become a stud so that the Audubon team can determine whether the fluorescence gene can be transmitted. That should take no more than two breeding cycles. After that, Mr Green Genes will retire to a happy life as a housecat, living with Audubon Center’s veterinarian and staff scientist, Dr Martha Gomez.
Check him out:
Whoa, this is amazing. At first, I thought they injected something into him so he could be seen outside in the dark and not get hurt. Well, as long as he lives a happy life and isn’t used as an experiment that may harm him…. I think this is great!!!
Very interesting article!!
Wowza, he doesn’t need a costume for Halloween! I sure hope they don’t do other experiments on him that could hurt him. Weird science!
We hope the experiment doesn’t cause the cat any harm. Bosco was scarred when he saw the photo!
[...] Karen Nichols wrote an interesting post today onJust in Time for Halloween: Glow-in-the-Dark Cats!Here’s a quick excerptBut turn on the black light, and just like a vintage black velvet Elvis poster, Mr Green Gene’s eyes, gums and tongue glow a vivid lime green, the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species. … [...]
I agree with the others…….I hope he isn’t getting stuff injected into him that is gonna hurt him.
I definitely agree with you all! And luckily, the research was done without any harm to the cat whatsoever. The cat’s genes were altered before conception, inserted into a single cell embryo and born to a surrogate mother. Mr. Green Genes was nursed by his mother and raised just as any other cat and with the best care. No injections, no pain. There is no sort of harm involved in that, to him or his mother… The fact that he glows is a very simple, harmless marker for success of the project, so there’s no further research that will done on him.
And yes, he is going to a very happy home. He will be retired soon to live with some other, less fluorescent kitties:
(http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1224480032284060.xml&coll=1&thispage=3)
— ‘He is my baby’ —
Mr. Green Genes’ next role for the center will combine science and sex. He will become a stud so the Audubon team can determine whether the fluorescence gene can be transmitted. That should take no more than two breeding cycles, Gomez said.
“If he is fertile and if the female is fertile, it should be quick,” she said. “The idea is not to have a lot of green cats around, but to demonstrate that the gene can be passed.”
After that, he will retire to Gomez’s home, where two cats already live.
“I feel that he is my baby,” said Gomez, who led the team that created him.
“You have to realize that this is our first transgenic cat,” she said. “I don’t want him to go to just anybody. I feel he is mine.”
Hope there weren’t Mr. Green clones that didn’t make it and that Mr. Green’s kids won’t be harmed.
Our pal clones glowing zebra fish, maybe Mr. Green would like one.
Very interesting…and illuminating post.
Mr. Green’s kids will be naturally bred and raised. The only sort of testing they plan on doing is just to determine if the gene will be passed onto them. So basically, I would think that it’s just a simple test of the black light, spayed/neutered, and they should be put up for adoption.
I’m so glad Mr. Green’s kids will be okay and especially that they will be spayed and neutered and not exploited by the pet trade. Maybe we’ll see them on Catster some day.