Glow-in-the-Dark Cat Bred for Battling Cystic Fibrosis

Tyler Durden, in his article, "Glow-in-the-Dark Cat is Least Stealthy Cat Ever," is reporting that there has been a genetic experiment that has yielded a fluorescent cat.

The cat's name is Mr. Green Genes and his eyes, ears, nose and gums glow green under a black fluorescent light.

All kinds of jokes could be made about this situation, including the cat's name, if it weren't for the importance of the research.

This research has taken dead-aim at cystic fibrosis. The methodology of making a gene visible is readying a procedure whereby a gene that is fluorescent is placed beside a cystic fibrosis gene. This allows scientists to identify the position of all cystic fibrosis genes and to ultimately destroy them by placing the death mechanism on the marked genes.

As Durden concludes in his article which is posted on "College on the Record," still, glow-in-the-dark cats are neat, if not a little spooky.

Lest you think bizarre experiments are unique, allow me to enlighten you. I have linked to a group of 10 but here is a sampling:

Burris Frederic Skinner devised a "baby box" to help raise his second child. The box was six feet deep and had a glass wall that allowed Skinner's daughter to peer out. The baby was removed after nine months when there was a public outcry.

In the 1950's Bernard Rensch went about trying to prove brain size had an impact on intelligence. To prove his point he picked an Indian Elephant and exposed him to a number of tests that involved food. It seemed to work in that after the elephant got the idea he got 600 responses in a row correct.

In 1932 a man named Robert Cornish claimed he could use an invention called a "teeterboard" to bring people back from the dead. He tried the invention on people who had heart attacks and had no luck.

I was in an experiment put on by a friend of mine who is a doctor which involved having my thumbs numbed. The idea was to see how one functioned without the "oppositional" finger.

If nothing else, you have to give mankind an "A" for effort.

Reference:

http://www.collegeotr.com/college_otr/glow-in-the-dark_cat_is_least_stealthy_cat_ever_13634

http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/the-weirdest-experiments-ever.aspx