BBC: Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4605202.stm

 

Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs

By Chris Hogg

BBC News, Hong Kong

 

 

Scientists in Taiwan say they have bred three pigs that glow in the dark.

 

They claim that while other researchers have

bred partly fluorescent pigs, theirs are the only

pigs in the world which are green through and

through.

 

The pigs are transgenic, created by adding

genetic material from jellyfish into a normal pig

embryo.

 

The researchers hope the pigs will boost the

island's stem cell research, as well as helping

with the study of human disease.

 

The researchers, from National Taiwan

University's Department of Animal Science and

Technology, say that although the pigs glow, they

are otherwise no different from any others.

 

Taiwan is not claiming a world first. Others

have bred partially fluorescent pigs before. But

the researchers insist the three pigs they have

produced are better.

 

They are the only ones that are green from the

inside out. Even their heart and internal organs

are green, they say.

 

To create them, DNA from jellyfish was added to

about 265 pig embryos which were implanted in

eight different pigs.

 

Four of the pigs became pregnant and three male

piglets were born three months ago.

 

Green generation

 

In daylight the researchers say the pigs' eyes,

teeth and trotters look green. Their skin has a

greenish tinge.

 

In the dark, shine a blue light on them and they glow torch-light bright.

 

The scientists will use the transgenic pigs to

study human disease. Because the pig's genetic

material is green, it is easy to spot.

 

So if, for instance, some of its stem cells are

injected into another animal, scientists can

track how they develop without the need for a

biopsy or invasive test.

 

But creating them has not been easy. Many of the

altered embryos failed to develop.

 

The researchers say they hope the new, green

pigs will mate with ordinary female pigs to

create a new generation - much greater numbers of

transgenic pigs for use in research.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4605202.stm

 

Published: 2006/01/12 11:04:37 GMT

 

© BBC MMVI

 

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