If glowing cats and fish weren't enough for you, what about a set of glowing pigs? Yes, we've seen them before, but these green glow-in-the-dark pigs are said to be the best bred by the Taiwanese researchers to date.
"A fluorescent green Chinese pig has given birth to two piglets which share their mother's transgenic characteristic after she mated with an ordinary pig," Reuters reported.
Only two of her 11 piglets have shown signs of glowing.
By day, they look somewhat normal, save for their eyes and teeth which look a little on the green side. OK, their skin tone's off by a bit too. But as soon as the lights go out, or when a blue light hits them, they radiate a vibrant emerald shade.
The transgenic piggies were made like the other genetically modified critter we've seen lately; that is, they were made by injected jellyfish DNA into 256 pig embryos which were implanted into eight sows. They're green inside and out; yes, even their lungs, stomachs and hearts and green.
What's Driving This Trend
- Fluorescent Animals
- Advancements in stem cell research could lead to more glowing animals and potential uses for biomedical research.
- Transgenic Animals
- Creating animals with genes from other species can lead to new opportunities in medical and environmental applications.
- Genetic Modification
- Further understanding of genetic modification allows for the creation of new organisms with desirable traits.
Who This Affects Most
- Biotechnology
- Using genetic engineering to develop new applications for medicine, agriculture, and environmental solutions.
- Agriculture
- Creating animals with specific genetic traits can lead to more efficient and profitable farming practices.
- Pharmaceuticals
- The use of transgenic animals can lead to advancements in drug development and testing.
