Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs

[emad]

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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4605202.stm


WAS THIS BBC reporter chosen solely for his name? and did he cover the UK's foot and mouth disease some years ago? We should be told...

[LiberalEsto]

1. Coming soon: When Pigs Fly

Meanwhile, anybody for some glow-in-the dark spareribs?

[Posteritatis]

15. With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine... (n/t)

[eppur_se_muova]

21. It's the landings that are so rough... nt

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. Green eggs & ham?

nt

[slackmaster]

7. Dang, you beat me to it by one minute

:yourock:

[LiberalEsto]

10. A metaphor for Sam I Am Alito!

That Sam I am, that Sam I am
I do not like that Sam I am.

Do you like eggs and green ham?

I will not tell you, says Sam I am.

Sen. Ken.: Would you eat them with a CAP?
Would you give women and minorities a slap?

I will not tell you, says Sam I am.
I will not tell you, I won't sing.
I will not tell you anything.

Georgie B.: You must vote him up and down.
Yes, you must, or I will frown.

[gulfcoastliberal]

11. Sweet!

:D

[sui generis]

3. mmmm glow in the dark pork chops

puts the phrase "makin' bacon" in a WHOLE NEW LIGHT.

ba-dum-tish!

:rofl:

[slackmaster]

4. All we need now is chickens that lay green-glowing eggs

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0394800168.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

ETA The BBC article was written by Chris Hogg.

It doesn't get any better than this.

[kurth]

5. For green ham and eggs?

[gordianot]

6. We need green eggs and ham?

[slackmaster]

8. Would you eat them in the dark? Would you eat them at the park?

I do not like green eggs and ham,
I do not like them gordianot I am.

[gordianot]

14. Jellyfish pigs. It brings new meaning to Surf and Turf.

[leveymg]

9. What's next - glow in the dark BBQ jellyfish ribs?

It's that inscrutable mind.:think:

[DemBones DemBones]

12. Just another reason I became a vegetarian last year -- there's too much

screwing around with our food going on.

I suppose the good news is that these little piggies will never get lost as they will be so damned bizarre in appearance!

[emad]

13. Next year's must-have Xmas tree decorations?

Rasher of bacon and string of sausages.

[niyad]

16. was there some urgent environmental need for glow in the dark pigs?

[eppur_se_muova]

24. No, but there might have been some evolutionary advantage to...

stinging tentacles!!

[greyl]

17. That picture doesn't look right.

Firstly, it looks just like a photo taken with infrared "night vision".

Second, the brightest parts of the pigs are consistent with where highlights would be if the camera was the light source.

I'm not saying the story is impossible, just that the pictures don't look like proof to me.

[rman]

19. indeed - even the floor is glowing green in the dark

[greyl]

20. Yes, well

if the pigs were glowing brightly enough, we'd expect the light to be reflected off of the floor. But still...

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they just (stupidly) used infrared to photograph the pigs when a long exposure time would have made a better evidence photo.
I'm just suspicious that the researchers are claiming that their pigs are more green than other glowing pigs, and this is the photo that accompanies the story. :)

[eppur_se_muova]

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

I suspect their "blue" light is a so-called "black light" bulb, which produces near-UV. So you still get shadows, and only the illuminated areas fluoresce.

Not that we *shouldn't* question the press.

on edit: This is fluorescence, not luminescence. Glad it's not luminescence, since then even their eyes would glow all the time and they'd be blinded.

[greyl]

23. Good points, thanks. :)

I was stuck on the glowing thing, and overlooked what fluorescence really is.

[WindRavenX]

18. heh, the gfp gene is fun

Every bio undergrad plays with it by putting the gfp gene in a plasmid and transforming bacteria like e.coli w/ the plasmid. glowing e.coli! Weee!! :D

[Odin2005]

27. I'm taking a Genetics class this semester...

and I am so exited to do that stuff. Genetic Engineering is fun. :evilgrin:

[Porcupine]

25. What we really need is the chlorophyl hack.

Where pigs have chlorophyl in their skins and produce energy from sunlight. Just add mud and water and you've got chitlins. Science fiction writers think it can be done.

[eppur_se_muova]

26. Pigs? Why not us?

I can't tan anyway, just burn. I'd just as soon go green.