The Future? Get some genes in your DNA to make you glow in the dark at a rave

In the future their might not be a need to buy UV reactive glowing to wear to raves? Maybe you could do some tinkering on your future children and given them a leg up in raving or at least no longer need the light on at night.


Gene scientists working with Aids have created green glowing cats as part of their work to beat the illness.  The animals had their DNA modified with a gene from a fluorescent jellyfish and give off a green glow when placed under a blue light.Cats are susceptible to a feline version of the HIV virus that triggers Aids and overwhelms the immune system.The jellyfish gene was inserted into tabby cats which then gave birth to luminous kittens.  The purpose of the study was to find out if a natural protein that prevents macaque monkeys from developing Aids can do the same in cats.  

The cats have been engineered, using the jellyfish DNA, to reproduce the restriction factors.The monkeys have proteins known as "restriction factors" that can stop the viruses from invading immune cells.  Eric Poeschla, who led the study, said the research would benefit both human and feline health.


A veterinary advisor for the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) said they had ethical concerns about the research.  "This type of research on cats serves only to continue our reliance on scientifically flawed animal-based research", he said. 


But animal welfare campaigners have opposed the experiments. "Science should instead be progressing in the area of modern, non-animal alternatives."