Fluorescent Monkeys Cast Light On Human Disease

Hugh Pickens writes "BBC reports that a team of Japanese scientists has integrated a new gene for green fluorescent protein into the common marmoset, causing them to glow green under ultraviolet light, creating second-generation, glow-in-the-dark monkeys in what could be a powerful new tool in human disease research. Though primates modified to generate a glowing protein have been created before, these are the first to keep the change in their bloodlines. If a fluorescent protein gene can be introduced into the monkey genome and passed onto future generations, other genes could be too opening up a world of possibilities for medical research, such as the generation of specific monkey colonies containing genetic defects that mirror human diseases aiding efforts to cure such diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. However many people are likely to find the routine use of monkeys in medical research far less acceptable than that of rodents, drawing action from animal rights activists. 'I'm worried that these steps are being taken without any overall public discussion about whether we want to go down that road. We may find ourselves gradually drifting towards the genetic engineering of human beings,' says Dr David King, from the group Human Genetics Alert. '"Slippery slope" is a quite inadequate description of the process, because it doesn't happen passively. People push it forward.'"

Comments

Oblig...

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one welcome our glowing primate overlords?........

Fluorescent monkeys? Bah

[MillionthMonkey]

I want phosphorescent monkeys, dammit.

Re:Fluorescent monkeys? Bah

[Jurily]

If you were phosphorescent, you could eat a tub of ice cream and just shine the calories away.

So the fat girls would glow in the club? Where do I send the check with the funding?

We may find ourselves gradually drifting towards t

[wideBlueSkies]

KHANNNNN!!!!!

Raise your hands

[MMC Monster]

How many of you would pay extra for a child that would fluoresce?

Re:Raise your hands

[MillionthMonkey]

Does it have to be mine?

oblig.

[owlnation]

Take your shining paws off me, you damn dazzling ape!

Animal rights activists

[oldspewey]

However many people are likely to find the routine use of monkeys in medical research far less acceptable than that of rodents, drawing action from animal rights activists.

And once you have the attention of the animal rights activists, the harsh reality is that your research involves monkeys that fucking glow in the dark so it's not like they're easy to hide or anything.

Re:Oh no, not human genetic engineering!

[plover]

But.. but.. improving humanity genetically = eugenism = nazi = evil! It's inherent, you can't even screen foetuses for genetic defects without bringing dystopian technofascism into power.

I think you skipped the "Nazis riding dinosaurs" in there, but otherwise that's obviously exactly what would happen.

Re:Just a matter of time

[oldspewey]

He's not dead, he's pining for the fjords

Why would anybody buy a dead monkey?

[MillionthMonkey]

I don't always buy dead monkeys, but when I do, I prefer fluorescents.

Re:Glowing is cool, but the novelty is elsewhere

[Jurily]

now you can make green offspring with no extra effort!

Some of us like the "effort" part, you know.

Re:Glowing is cool, but the novelty is elsewhere

[gstoddart]

"But the novelty is that now you can make green offspring with no extra effort!"

Some of us like the "effort" part, you know.

With monkeys??? :-P

Cheers