Glowing Mice

[Dirty]

Check out these mice they somehow had some green flourecence protein incorporated in their genes. BTW, they're under a blacklight. Anyone have any more info about these? Do you think it might be possible to make a herp like that?

http://gallery.petho**bbyist.com/index.php?photo=135285

[joey]

oooooooo---maybe we could make PEOPLE like that. That's probably in the plan.

[Dirty]

That would be great I wish I could glow in the dark (or blacklight whatever)

[Pirranha]

i think i smell the newest wave in designer pets comin.

[Dirty]

seriously though does anyone know like the process involved?

[rhodostom]

The mice to my knowledge do not glow under blacklight. They only glow under a UV light that is harmful to the eye.

The mice glow b/c a flourescent protein is tagged onto a 'normal' protein in the mouse. This protein is everywhere except hair. Hence on adults, only exposed skin glows. (ears, nose, feet, tail).

Go to the link at the bottom of the linked page and read for more info.

[sneaky_boa]

These mice are generally involved int he same process as is involved in making transgenic mice. It's a very time consuming thing trying to get GFP to attactch to a certain gene in the mouse. ONce attached to a gene, GFP will fluorese when that particular gene is expressed thus making a certain protien. GFP is used for all kinds of things related to research. I highly doubt it'll ever be used for designer pets...at least I sincerely hope not!

[joey]

...i think my dog ate one of those mice-

[beanersmysav]

I'd love to be a glow in the dark human, guess I'd have to turn in my ninja badge though :P

[boywithscales]

cant scorpions sorta glow under blacklight????

[joey]

Originally posted by boywithscales
cant scorpions sorta glow under blacklight????

Can't you just picture two bored stoners saying......"dude, put the scorpion under the blacklight man, yeah, I bet it glows brighter than that Led Zepp poster." lol
!!!!!

[RobV]

*Warning Lots of Science Ahead*

The jellyfish that GFP (green fluorescent protein) is found in actually lives off the coast of BC. This type of Molecular Genetics is useful for a lot of developmental biology - I do the same things with bacterial cells and lactose operon/plasmid DNA transformants (the cells are the transformants, that is).

You could attach the GFP gene next to the native gene that you want to know when it is expressed in vivo, and when the promoter for the native gene reads through the GFP gene it will also produce GFP.

This is the link, and it states that the GFP excites at a light wavelength of 365nm which falls in the UV-A range. Typical reptile UV bulbs also emit UV-B (~290-320nm) which is higher energy than UV-A. Of course because GFP fluoresces green, it emits photons in the 520-560nm range, which our eyes perceive as green.

Sorry to bore you all..

Rob