Glow in the dark bunnies

[Gordon]

I find this fascinating~

Glow in the dark bunnies

 

[Zaiya]

Wow, amazing! I want one!!!!!!

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Wow, that is fascinating! It would be amazing to own one!

 

[Zaiya]

I wonder what the judge at the fair would think... "Hey, watch this!" (Brings out blacklight and shines on bunny) collective "Ooooooooooh!" from the entire barn. XD

 

[Watermelons]

But the fur doesn't glow Just the skin...
Can they make this + Bald so its like full on glow?

Its all illegal in Canada however.
I really want GLO fish to be allowed....

 

[Thumperina]

What life are this bunnies going to have?

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

I do think the bunnies look cool but I can't imagine that its healthy for them. They are probably more prone to health problems. Poor buns.

 

[missyscove]

The glowing is a marker so the researchers know the gene they've inserted has succesfully passed. Simplifying it alot, if you want the rabbits to have gene A, you attach gene A to the glow gene and insert it into their genome and then when they're born, if they glow, you know they got the glow gene so they probably got gene A too.
When we inserted genes into bacterial DNA in bio lab, we often attached them to antibiotic resistance genes because then all the bacteria that didn't get the target gene would die out when exposed to the antibiotic.

It's a very useful research technique. I believe the rabbits in this article just had the glow gene inserted to see if it could be done, before things are taken to the next step.

 

[degrassi]

Its all illegal in Canada however.
I really want GLO fish to be allowed....

Its illegal but there are still glo fish in canada. I see them at the fish store all the time and know some members of the aquarium club keep/breed them. They will be seized if whatever agency regulates them finds out. They were brought in shortly after they were announced in the US. Since they are just zebra danios they quickly spread around as they are so easy to breed. I know we had a presentation at a club meeting and someone brought in blue,purple, red and yellow ones. Super neat looking.

The bunnies are a little weird. I also remember seeing beagles that had the gene.

 

[Troller]

I read this a few days ago and entertaingly enough the subject came up in BBC Sherlock. If my research is right physically long term this should not have a big effect. However behaviorally it might prove negative. But then we've also been altering behavior in our doemstic rabbits as well so what really is normal for them anymore.

 

[Watermelons]

Its illegal but there are still glo fish in canada. I see them at the fish store all the time and know some members of the aquarium club keep/breed them. They will be seized if whatever agency regulates them finds out. They were brought in shortly after they were announced in the US. Since they are just zebra danios they quickly spread around as they are so easy to breed. I know we had a presentation at a club meeting and someone brought in blue,purple, red and yellow ones. Super neat looking.

The bunnies are a little weird. I also remember seeing beagles that had the gene.

I've seen the pink ones and 1-2greens, used to buy them for the tank at my old job.
But theres no comparison when you see the tanks at the petco/petsmarts in the states, vs what we have available up here (illegally). Some stores charge the same as a danio, others happily mark it up to $10 a fish with no guarantee. Still another debated topic around people, but like Christina said for the rabbits... Glo fish were originally designed to help with research It doesn't harm the animal, other then possibly being easier for predators to see.

I'll stick with my glowy corals in the salt tank for now

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I read this a few days ago and entertaingly enough the subject came up in BBC Sherlock. If my research is right physically long term this should not have a big effect. However behaviorally it might prove negative. But then we've also been altering behavior in our doemstic rabbits as well so what really is normal for them anymore.

Bluebell! I just got a T shirt a couple weeks ago with Bluebell the luminous rabbit on it.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/beesants/works/9229753-like-a-fairy?p=t-shirt

 

[flemish giant]

they do this with everything these days. several animals are getting this. mostly fish but i think it may catch on with other animals. i personally dont like them. im more of a natural guy. would never have glofish.

 

[LumLumPop]

Did anyone bother reading the comments on the links website? XD I find them quite laughable.

 

[Gordon]

What life are this bunnies going to have?

I hope they are going to have very good lives. I don't think the article went into how these rabbits became involved or what their current circumstances are, and I hesitated posting this because of that uncertainty. But... it sounds like good intentions. I would definitely like to read more about the rabbits involved and what type of lives they have in the lab. Breeding them just for this purpose is a little worrisome to me. Anyone with more in-depth knowledge of this?