Scientists in Taiwan Successfully Cultivate Three Glow-in-the-Dark Pigs, Paving the Way for Stem Cell Research
A research team has successfully inserted a protein (extracted from a species of jellyfish) into the nuclei of pig embryos, resulting in the creation of three genetically modified male pigs that glow from within, including their internal organs.
Wu Shinn-Chih, from the Department of Animal Technology and Science at National Taiwan University, stated that the team hopes these pigs can assist scientists in tracking the development of tissues, where stem cells are utilized to repair damaged organs.
“This work is truly significant. It will be beneficial in advancing clinical research on human stem cells, as genetically speaking, pigs are considered the animals most closely related to humans“, Wu remarked.
“I am not sure if there are other fluorescent pigs elsewhere in the world, but so far, in the photographs related to this field, I have never seen pigs like these, with their entire bodies glowing green in the dark“, Wu added.
Wu also dismissed concerns that this technology could endanger the ecosystem. “There is nothing to worry about here, because unlike fish, these pigs have no way to crossbreed with wild species and produce monstrous hybrids“, he explained.
Taiwan is also home to the world’s first genetically modified glow-in-the-dark fish, created in 2003, an event that was listed by Time magazine as one of the “most boring inventions” of that year.
