how did they do that?

• Jellyfish


  Has a gene that makes a glowing protein, which makes the jellyfish glow in some types of light
• Genetically engineering a glowing mouse

  1. Take glowing gene from jellyfish cell

  2. Splice/insert into empty virus cell

  3. Genetically engineered virus attaches to fertilized mouse egg cell

  4. Virus delivers glowing gene into egg cell nucleus, where it joins mouse DNA

  5. Genetically engineered mouse egg grows into adult mouse which will make the glowing protein
• The glow is too faint to see under normal lights but can be detected using a special camera
• Potential future genetic engineering

  • Red fish, blue fish, yellow fish, GLOW FISH?
  • Using the jellyfish protein to make a naturally glowing Christmas tree!
  • Adding a gene from insect killing bacteria to cotton so that insects whoever eat cotton will be poisoned
  • Genetically engineered moths that pass on deadly disease genes to their relatives so they die and won't be able to destroy crops
  • A gene from a spider has been inserted into some goats, their milk now contains tiny strands of spider silk which can be made into a strong, stretchy rope
  • Taking the gene that programs poison in the tail of a scorpion, and combining it with a cabbage - these genetically modified cabbages kill caterpillars because they have learned to grow scorpion poison (insecticide) in their sap
  • Insertion of human genes into sheep so that they secrete alpha-1 antitrypsin in their milk - a useful substance in treating some cases of lung disease