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Anorak News | Glowing Live Cats To Replace Cats Eyes On Motorways: Photos

Glowing Live Cats To Replace Cats Eyes On Motorways: Photos

by | 12th, September 2011

HAVE you seen the cats that glow in the dark? Cats Eyes are now a thing of history as scientists invents cats – whole cats – that can sit in the middle of motorway lanes and prevent accidents. After years of waiting,  might this be that moment when cats can finally help mankind and do a day’s work? Maybe. Anorak would prefer to go with glowing dogs, who are more likely to “sit” and “stay” than cats. And what of tortoises? But the debate is best saved for later.

For now you can marvel at those researchers at the Mayo Clinic who injected rhesus macaque genes and jellyfish genes into unfertilized cat eggs in a process we like to call gamete-targeted lentiviral transgenesis. Any resulting cats are immune to the feline immunodeficiency virus, which causes FIV, a cat version of AIDS. But the best bit is thatese cats glow when you place them beneath a UV  light.

This glowing is not only cool and, as we say, potentially useful but it enables scientists to observe the cats’ modified cells and genes.

In the meantime, glo-cats TgCat1, TgCat2, and TgCat3 are less likely to be stepped on than their peers…

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Posted: 12th, September 2011 | In: Key Posts, Technology Comment | TrackBack | Permalink