Soft, cuddly fur…big innocent eyes, and a tail that wags every time you approach. What more could you ask for in a pet? How about the ability to glow? Take your pick – red, green, blue, or how about yellow? Researchers have created an assortment of animals capable of glowing under UV lights, including dogs, cats, pigs, and fish.
How did they do this? Well, it all started with glowing jellyfish – naturally occurring ones, that is. In the 60s, researchers discovered that some jellyfish have a protein responsible for letting them glow under UV light. What did they decide to do with this newly-found knowledge? Naturally, scientists inserted the gene that makes this protein into different organisms…similar to sharing an instruction manual between species. And, voilà! New-and-improved animals that glow.
So why go to all the trouble of making Fido emit an eerie fluorescence? Well, the practical applications extend past finding your pet in the dark. By creating animals that glow, researchers can track how stem cells in our bodies work. They can also figure out the cause of genetic diseases and how they are passed on from generation to generation.
Depending on where you live, you can even buy glowing fish to add to your aquarium.
Click here to see glowing fish under normal versus fluorescent lights.
