Video: Glow In The Dark Cats

South Korean scientists have cloned cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet rays, an achievement that could help develop cures for human genetic diseases, the Science and Technology Ministry said.

Three Turkish Angora cats were born in January and February through cloning with a gene that produces a red fluorescent protein that makes them glow in dark. One died at birth, but the two others survived, the ministry said.

Read the entire story here.

Watch video of the glow in the dark cats:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1343712573 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Comments

[PaulDonaldson]

CNN International's Coverage of this story

http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=f26bad52-ee51-4e4f-928d-c9f11563fce3

[zizyphus]

I adopt all the sick, homeless cats that find their way to my house. We currently care for eight cats. Over the the past two decades I have become able to read cats behavior and body language. What I felt from watching the cats in that video was their extreme sadness.

The misery of the poor cats, who through no fault of their own, are condemned to live lives of torture and deprivation in order to placate a scientist's need to satisfy his curiosity, or career goals, is unconscionable.

As stupid as we humans have demonstrated ourselves to be, our experiments with genetics will surely be our ultimate undoing. It doesn't matter in the least what the lofty goals are. Men tinkering with the genetic code will prove as worthwhile as monkeys doing brain surgery.

In our efforts to make our own lives more comfortable, we are completely willing to destroy everything good, natural and decent on the face of the earth. There is nothing too small, or hidden so well, that we can't find it, and fuck it up.

[DDike88]

Wow. I just vomited.

[Rockwell]

If this will lead to gene therapies to help my suffering nephew then I say "here kitty, kitty, kitty."

To the tofu snorting, hand wringing, tree huggers shouting "animal cruelty", I say, bite me.

[Thucydides Jr.]

Jeez.. those cats are furry, walking Judas Priest posters.

I bet they'd sell well at Spencer's Gifts, or the local head shop.

[BlueTide]

The glowing cats better not go outside at night. They'll make easy prey for coyotes, owls and other predators.

[clumberfeet]

Glow under a black light? Big deal.
FOX Noise info-babes' teeth glow under a black light.
Are they genetically altered to?

[mckinley]

This is NOT about making silly cats -- this is an ingenious way to demonstrate that thise gene manipulation CAN be done successfully, as the biologist points out in the article.

Brilliant PR!

~ And isn't it disturbing that Korea(!) has been now surpassing the U.S. for years in biotechnology? Thank you, Cro-Magnon Fundies!

[TomR]

Thank God. I was wondering how long it would take them to find a cure for luminescen­t-challeng­ed felines.

Next stop: sharks with frickin' laser beams coming out of their heads!

- Tom

[CaptainVideo]

Now if the mice can just get hold of some ultraviolet lamps, they can keep the cats from sneaking up on them in the dark.

[Qbear]

the = they above

[Qbear]

The only did this to cats because they already did it to mice. It's to give those vulnerabe glowng mice an even playig field.

[robotfog]

Scientists are all Jerks.

[FarSeeingArt]

Haven't seen anything like it for nearly 40 years.
Wonder how long before we can buy one.

[revko]

"You'll pay for this professor!!!"

-Felix