Genetically Modified Puppy glow in dark

Filed in: Entertainment - Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 at 1:17 pm

Research team in Seoul National University of Korea for animals, cloned a female beagle named Tegon, a 2-year old pooch which glows bright fluorescent green under ultraviolet light, according to a paper published in the journal Genesis.

In the future, glowing dogs and cats could become a new pet trend.

“According to information from Discovery News, Tegon’s abilities were achieved with a five-step process, involving DNA fragments, florescent-modified cells, a generated embryo and a surrogate mother dog. The full process is outlined in the report.

Researchers hope to apply the same gene therapies to other genetic issues, including human ailments like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. “The creation of Tegon opens new horizons since the gene injected to make the dog glow can be substituted with genes that trigger fatal human diseases,” Lee told the Yonhap news agency.”

Watch Tegon glows in dark