Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs

[Math Is Hard]

Just something interesting I came across on BBC News.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4605202.stm

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.
The scientists, from National Taiwan University's Department of Animal Science and Technology, say that although the pigs glow, they are otherwise no different from any others.
Taiwan is not claiming a world first. Others have bred partially fluorescent pigs before; but the researchers insist the three pigs they have produced are better.
In daylight, their eyes and skin are green-tinged
They are the only ones that are green from the inside out. Even their heart and internal organs are green, the researchers say.
To create them, DNA from jellyfish was added to about 265 pig embryos which were implanted in eight different sows.

 

[Orefa]

Finally, what the world had been waiting for!

 

[scott1]

Were they expossed to raditon?
I wonder what green eggs and hame taste like

 

[Monique]

Were they expossed to raditon?

No, they have green fluorescent protein incorporated in their DNA.

 

[DocToxyn]

No, they have green fluorescent protein incorporated in their DNA.

Would they be called GFPigs then? Also they don't really "glow in the dark". A light source (488 nm) is required to activate the fluorophore that has been expressed in the tissues of the pig. Then the tissues will emit light at about 520 nm which is green in color. I've seen this done with mice and they are really fascinating to look at under fluorescing conditions.

 

[Monique]

I do that with worms everyday