Can't find your pooch?

Seawing · Apr 28, 2009

Maybe you need one that glows in the dark!

AP said:

SKorean experts claim to have cloned glowing dogs

By HYUNG-JIN KIM, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 28, 10:27 am ET
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean scientists say they have engineered four beagles that glow red using cloning techniques that could help develop cures for human diseases.
The four dogs, all named "Ruppy" — a combination of the words "ruby" and "puppy" — look like typical beagles by daylight. But they glow red under ultraviolet light, and the dogs' nails and abdomens, which have thin skins, look red even to the naked eye.
Seoul National University professor Lee Byeong-chun, head of the research team, called them the world's first transgenic dogs carrying fluorescent genes, an achievement that goes beyond just the glowing novelty.
"What's significant in this work is not the dogs expressing red colors but that we planted genes into them," Lee told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
His team identified the dogs as clones of a cell donor through DNA tests and earlier this month introduced the achievement in a paper on the Web site of the journal "Genesis."
Scientists in the U.S., Japan and in Europe previously have cloned fluorescent mice and pigs, but this would be the first time dogs with modified genes have been cloned successfully, Lee said.
He said his team took skin cells from a beagle, inserted fluorescent genes into them and put them into eggs before implanting them into the womb of a surrogate mother, a local mixed breed.
Six female beagles were born in December 2007 through a cloning with a gene that produces a red fluorescent protein that make them glow, he said. Two died, but the four others survived.
The glowing dogs show that it is possible to successfully insert genes with a specific trait, which could lead to implanting other, non-fluorescent genes that could help treat specific diseases, Lee said.
The scientist said his team has started to implant human disease-related genes in the course of dog cloning, saying that will help them find new treatments for genetic diseases such as Parkinson's. He refused to provide further details, saying the research was still under way.
A South Korean scientist who created glowing cats in 2007 based on a similar cloning technique said that Lee's puppies are genuine clones, saying he had seen them and had read about them in the journal.
"We can appraise this is a step forward" toward finding cures for human diseases, said veterinary professor Kong Il-keun at South Korea's Gyeongsang National University. "What is important now is on what specific diseases (Lee's team) will focus on."
Lee was a key aide to disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, whose breakthroughs on stem cell research were found to have been made using faked data. Independent tests, however, later proved the team's dog cloning was genuine.
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This is cloning thing is getting kinda scary...

Omegatron · Apr 28, 2009

Sheldon Cooper FTW.

Gingerchris · Apr 29, 2009

Now if they could only get them to flash on and off we could have pet-based neon advertising fun. Actually, make them glow bright enough and we could use animals to replace lighting. Of course, I don't think they'd enjoy being strapped to the bonnet of a speeding car as headlights.

Also, I initially misread the thread title as 'Can't find your cooch?'. Sure be useful if we could get those to glow in the dark too.

Takara_destron · Apr 29, 2009

Omegatron1 said: ↑

Sheldon Cooper FTW.
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Hell yes.

Nachtsider · Apr 29, 2009

They should take a crack at cloning useful stuff instead. Like sexy women, for instance.

Zeta Otaku · Apr 29, 2009

Nachtsider said: ↑

They should take a crack at cloning useful stuff instead. Like sexy women, for instance.
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Best idea ever, but needs some tweaking. Sexy women who can't say no... and if they do, they spontaneously combust. Great way to break up with them when you get bored of 'em.

"hey, wanna go jump out of a plane with no parachute?"

"NO!" -fwoosh-

jqciaomama · Apr 29, 2009

Nachtsider said: ↑

They should take a crack at cloning useful stuff instead. Like sexy women, for instance.
Click to expand...

QuinJester · Apr 29, 2009

Nachtsider said: ↑

They should take a crack at cloning useful stuff instead. Like sexy women, for instance.
Click to expand...

And by the time they're of age, we'll all be just old enough to be creepy old men that they can ignore. Huzzah, science!

Chaos Muffin · Apr 29, 2009

Would be neat, then when they wash themselves and get that crap all into their stomachs, their poo will glow. Then I can step around it easier.

Or glow a shrinky old man up and have him run around nekkid

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Can't find your pooch?

Seawing Lurker of the depths Moderator

Omegatron Mandatory Fun. Buy it now TFW2005 Supporter

Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

Takara_destron Mainly lurking these days

Nachtsider Banned

Zeta Otaku Who ya gonna call? TFW2005 Supporter

jqciaomama LD Master

QuinJester T. Bison

Chaos Muffin Misadventure Veteran

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