South Korean scientists create glow-in-the-dark dog

[Odd Water]

Meet Tegon, the supposedly "Glow in the Dark" dog.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-07/29/tegon-the-glow-in-the-dark-dog

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/south-korean-scientists-create-3-million-glow-in-the-dark-dog/

I thought this was really cool at first till I read into it and realized some things. Like how it only glows under a UV light, that's like saying my teeth and eyes only shine under a black light, not so impressive then. Or how it has to ingest something as well. Again, kinda a let down compared to the idea I got from the title. I get that they are doing this as a way to use the dog, and more like him they will in time create I'm sure, as a way of test subjects for helping humans with various illness. But what I don't get is why the 'glow in the dark' part mattered. I never heard of people making lab mice glow before. I get the feeling the whole glowing aspect of this is kind of a publicity stunt to draw attention. Then again maybe I'm wrong, and there are real scientific reasons to make a dog, or person, glow like some kind of comic book character. Though I can't think of any.

 

[Ranorak]

Meet Tegon, the supposedly "Glow in the Dark" dog.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-07/29/tegon-the-glow-in-the-dark-dog

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/south-korean-scientists-create-3-million-glow-in-the-dark-dog/

I thought this was really cool at first till I read into it and realized some things. Like how it only glows under a UV light, that's like saying my teeth and eyes only shine under a black light, not so impressive then. Or how it has to ingest something as well. Again, kinda a let down compared to the idea I got from the title. I get that they are doing this as a way to use the dog, and more like him they will in time create I'm sure, as a way of test subjects for helping humans with various illness. But what I don't get is why the 'glow in the dark' part mattered. I never heard of people making lab mice glow before. I get the feeling the whole glowing aspect of this is kind of a publicity stunt to draw attention. Then again maybe I'm wrong, and there are real scientific reasons to make a dog, or person, glow like some kind of comic book character. Though I can't think of any.

First year in my Biochemist major and we mad bacteria glow in the dark with the same protein (assuming it's pGFPuv).
It's a bit harder to do it on a dog, considering you have to use a un-fertilized cell and impregnate a carrier. But the principle is relatively easy to perform.

 

[Odd Water]

First year in my Biochemist major and we mad bacteria glow in the dark with the same protein (assuming it's pGFPuv).
It's a bit harder to do it on a dog, considering you have to use a un-fertilized cell and impregnate a carrier. But the principle is relatively easy to perform.

Ah good someone with first hand experience in this topic. But is there a point to the glowing thing they didn't mention in the news though that you can shed some light on? Though I can understand making bacteria glow might be a handy way to track it visually in samples or such. But a dog?

 

[superdelux]

I SHALL NAME THOU SPARKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ranorak]

First year in my Biochemist major and we mad bacteria glow in the dark with the same protein (assuming it's pGFPuv).
It's a bit harder to do it on a dog, considering you have to use a un-fertilized cell and impregnate a carrier. But the principle is relatively easy to perform.

Ah good someone with first hand experience in this topic. But is there a point to the glowing thing they didn't mention in the news though that you can shed some light on? Though I can understand making bacteria glow might be a handy way to track it visually in samples or such. But a dog?

GFPuv (Green Florescent Protein UV, god we suck at thinking of names) is a stock protein.

Placing a new gene into a genome is a tricky puzzle.
You have to account to reading frames and "sticky ends".
And often enough it's really hard to tell if your modification actually worked or not.
So, the GFP is often used along side the actual target protein, because it's easy to detect. Just put a UV light on it.

Let me try and illustrate:

--Existing Genome ---Promoter---GFPuv-Target protein----Existing genome

Once the promoter is activated it will produce both GFP and the target protein.
The target protein cannot be seen right away, but GFP can, thus the engineer can see if the experiment worked.

Edit:
Why they made a dog glow?
Because they can, seems to be the only reason.
There was no actual target protein mentioned in the article, and it's a lot more visually impressive as some other proteins go.

Still, getting a strange protein in a different animal is not that hard on paper, but I can imagine actually doing it can proof a little tricky. Especially with a large animal like a dog, who takes a good deal of time being pregnant before you can actually see if it worked.

 

[FalloutJack]

At last, the Hound of the Baskervilles is unleashed upon us all!

 

[Tartarga]

I now demand for there to be a glow in the dark dog companion in the next Fallout game.

 

[TonyVonTonyus]

Glow in the dark dogs? WHERE THE HELL ARE THE LUMINOUS FISH!

 

[chuketek]

I guess they call it a light snack..... [trollface]

This could be useful if we're to ever hope of migrating our technology to biological devices... maybe.
I just can't work out why they used a dog of all animals. I can only see this being vaguely useful on already pretty abstract cellular creations, so I don't see why they would go to the trouble of putting it in a mammal.

 

[omega 616]

Well Korean meatballs just got a lot more interesting.

Would make an interesting pet, could make a good night light, harder to lose etc I wonder if other dogs will mate with or be like "WHAT THE FUCKERY IS THAT! DO NOT WANT!".

 

[StBishop]

First year in my Biochemist major and we mad bacteria glow in the dark with the same protein (assuming it's pGFPuv).
It's a bit harder to do it on a dog, considering you have to use a un-fertilized cell and impregnate a carrier. But the principle is relatively easy to perform.

Ah good someone with first hand experience in this topic. But is there a point to the glowing thing they didn't mention in the news though that you can shed some light on? Though I can understand making bacteria glow might be a handy way to track it visually in samples or such. But a dog?

Put it in prison inmates food. Use UV search lights. They cannot escape!

Once they are released and stop eating the protein, they won't glow.

SCIENCE!

 

[Jegsimmons]

............why?

just........why?

im going to go and consider being a hermit now.

 

[health-bar]

hasn't this already been done?

I know there's glow in the dark pigs but I swear reading about a dog or a cat somewhere.

 

[Nouw]

Well Korean meatballs just got a lot more
interesting.

Oh I see what you did there.

Shit, guys, I'll hold it off while you go get Holmes..!

"Watson here!"

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

............why?

just........why?

im going to go and consider being a hermit now.

Science isn't about why, it's about why not. You ask: why is so much of our science dangerous? I say: why not marry safe science if you love it so much. In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won't hit you in the butt on the way out, because you are fired.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Fancied themselves a little midnight snack?

OH! OOOH! OH YEAH!
That was a good one.



But in all seriousness, hasn't this been done before with a different animal?
Ah well, what ya gonna do?
I'm fine with it as long as some good comes out of it, if there just screwing with it, then i don't agree.

 

[TheTim]

O M G i love beagles, best hunting dogs ever, i want that little guy!