http://www.npr.org/2011/09/17/140550044/glowing-kittens-fight-aids?sc=tw
WANT!
At least I'd be able to see to aim the shoe I throw at the little bastards when they woke me up at 2 in the freakin' morning.
because you sleep with UV lights on?
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 18, 2011, 10:31:53 AM
because you sleep with UV lights on?
They're easy enough to get, especially around Halloween.
Dude, fuck glow in the dark cats. I want a glow in the dark AIDS-resistant baby.
Quote from: Nigel on September 18, 2011, 05:03:27 PM
Dude, fuck glow in the dark cats. I want a glow in the dark AIDS-resistant baby.
First steps first, I think that's what they're aiming for, eventually.
The ability to couple two simultaneously inserted genes together (like the resistance protein and the jellyfish protein in this) has made it so simple to determine whether an organism actually sucessfully received the gene transformation or not. This sort of thing is widespread in bacteria and invertebrate research, but it's only recently that such methods have spread to vertebrate trials. And why wouldn't it, if the result is ending up with glow in the dark disease resistant organisms!
We are on our way to building a race of luminous supermen!
Man, you have to be born with it though?
Just one more reason to hate future generations.
BRB, turning on all the lights and cranking the thermostat. :evilmad:
Quote from: Nigel on September 18, 2011, 06:21:37 PM
We are on our way to building a race of luminous supermen!
And thus, our offspring was ENLIGHTENED
So they made them glow in the dark just so they can tell them apart. Very smart in a lazy way. :lol:
Quote from: Jenne on September 20, 2011, 03:57:25 AM
So they made them glow in the dark just so they can tell them apart. Very smart in a lazy way. :lol:
Or to make sure the alteration stuck, without dissecting the baby kittehs.
Well, that too...but you can get blood samples without dissection, methinks.
Quote from: Jenne on September 20, 2011, 04:26:38 AM
Well, that too...but you can get blood samples without dissection, methinks.
It's cheaper to make them glow-in-the-dark.
...possibly cuter, too?
And, better resale value.
"Lookie, we're done with these. Glow in the dark kitties, who wants one?" as opposed to "we dissected 'em, who needs spare parts for... never mind..."
Quote from: Jenne on September 20, 2011, 04:26:38 AM
Well, that too...but you can get blood samples without dissection, methinks.
With gene tagging, you can tell if they successfully got the gene by visual inspection (which is even less invasive than drawing blood) and, more importantly, you can tell
where and
when the gene is being expressed.
The latter two points aren't that relevant here, since we only care if the kitten has the genes at all, but in general research being able to tell which cells are expressing the gene is really helpful when you're trying to answer the question "What the hell does this DNA
do, anyway?"
Quote from: Luna on September 22, 2011, 02:27:23 AM
And, better resale value.
"Lookie, we're done with these. Glow in the dark kitties, who wants one?" as opposed to "we dissected 'em, who needs spare parts for... never mind..."
Hate to break it to you but (AFAIK) the standard thing to do in research like this is to dissect the specimen anyway to make sure that the treated cats don't have anything abnormal going on inside, like a higher rate of tiny tumors. I could be wrong, though.
GA, you be burstin' da bubbles ITT...but that's sorta what I figured anyway when I read it.
Quote from: Golden Applesauce on September 22, 2011, 03:02:29 AM
Quote from: Jenne on September 20, 2011, 04:26:38 AM
Well, that too...but you can get blood samples without dissection, methinks.
With gene tagging, you can tell if they successfully got the gene by visual inspection (which is even less invasive than drawing blood) and, more importantly, you can tell where and when the gene is being expressed.
The latter two points aren't that relevant here, since we only care if the kitten has the genes at all, but in general research being able to tell which cells are expressing the gene is really helpful when you're trying to answer the question "What the hell does this DNA do, anyway?"
Quote from: Luna on September 22, 2011, 02:27:23 AM
And, better resale value.
"Lookie, we're done with these. Glow in the dark kitties, who wants one?" as opposed to "we dissected 'em, who needs spare parts for... never mind..."
Hate to break it to you but (AFAIK) the standard thing to do in research like this is to dissect the specimen anyway to make sure that the treated cats don't have anything abnormal going on inside, like a higher rate of tiny tumors. I could be wrong, though.
They will most likely be dissected after death, but it would render this particular research meaningless if they don't observe their life spans. Making them immune to AIDS is pointless if they all die of cancer at six.
(Also, if they find that for some reason they live twice as long as normal cats, that is also directly relevant to the research.)
I want to let a horde of these kittens loose at a rave party or something.
Likewise, I would think they'll want to see if the gene tinkering inherits.
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 23, 2011, 06:27:36 PM
I want to let a horde of these kittens loose at a rave party or something.
HELL FUCKING YES.
Quote from: Luna on September 23, 2011, 06:29:03 PM
Likewise, I would think they'll want to see if the gene tinkering inherits.
Yes, that would also be significant and highly relevant to the research.
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 23, 2011, 06:27:36 PM
I want to let a horde of these kittens loose at a rave party or something.
It would look kind of like this:
(http://www.gifshare.com/uploads/images/20071024/full_size/7861_snortthecat.gif)
Only more glow in the dark
Quote from: Nigel on September 23, 2011, 06:45:46 PM
Quote from: Luna on September 23, 2011, 06:29:03 PM
Likewise, I would think they'll want to see if the gene tinkering inherits.
Yes, that would also be significant and highly relevant to the research.
The glow is very important, to see, for example, what percentage of generations inherit the gene, and if the gene is dominant or recessive in crossbreeds.
Quote from: Luna on September 23, 2011, 06:49:58 PM
Quote from: Nigel on September 23, 2011, 06:45:46 PM
Quote from: Luna on September 23, 2011, 06:29:03 PM
Likewise, I would think they'll want to see if the gene tinkering inherits.
Yes, that would also be significant and highly relevant to the research.
The glow is very important, to see, for example, what percentage of generations inherit the gene, and if the gene is dominant or recessive in crossbreeds.
It was really a stroke of genius.
I want my car upholstered in this stuff! 8)
Quote from: Emo Howard on September 24, 2011, 11:02:02 PM
I want my car upholstered in this stuff! 8)
:x
And ew--allergies!