Uruguay scientists create sheep that can glow in the dark
By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
It’s a jelly fish, it’s a sheep, and actually it’s a bit of both. Scientists in Uruguay have developed the first genetically-modified phosphorescent sheep. The sheep glow green with the help of a protein that’s found in jellyfish.
Researchers from Uruguay’s Institute of Animal Reproduction genetically modified nine-sheep from Aequorea Victoria jellyfish. The sheep were born in Oct. 2012 and were injected with the green jellyfish protein. The research experiment was successful and the sheep glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. Glowing animals is an area of interest in biomedical research. Other animals that have been created to glow include – cats, dogs, pigs, zebra fish, mice and monkeys just to name a few.
The lead researcher of the project says that the sheep are deemed healthy, with the only difference from other sheep is that they can glow. Scientist conducted this project to better understand animal and human diseases. In the future, researchers may be able to have animals like sheep produce milk with human growth hormones to treat endocrine disorders in humans. Sheep will continue to be under the care of scientists and do spend time outdoors in the fields like normal sheep.