A research team from the University of Hawaii and the University of Istanbul used an "active transgenesis technique" to produce glowing rabbits. By injecting luminescent proteins from a jellyfish into rabbit embryos, they produced two bunnies that radiate a neon green under florescent light.
While genetic transfers are not a new concept, in this experiment, the glowing effect is just to show that the genetic manipulation technique works. The overall goal, according to researchers, is to introduce a beneficial gene into female rabbits, and to collect the protein dispersed in the milk produced by them. Stefan Moisyadi, the lead researcher on the project, says he hopes the bright bunnies will one day lead to cheaper medicines and cures for diseases like hemophilia, Alzheimer's and HIV.
Next up are a batch of glowing sheep that will move the Hawaii-Istanbul team's research forward. Replicating this experiment in farm animals would enable them to be used as bioreactors that produce pharmaceuticals, say the researchers. Read more