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Really, one of the key issues with sushi is that it doesn't glow under black light. To solve that problem, the Center for Genomic Gastronomy is using genetically modified fishies from the pet store to create tasty treats that will be perfect for your next rave. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5884023&view=rss&microfeed=true On Friday, the US Food and Drug Adminstration stopped dragging its feet and acknowledged that tomorrow's drugs are just as likely to be made in the bosoms of goats as they are to come out of a laboratory. The latest craze among drug makers is "pharming," or the practice of creating special, genetically-engineered animals that literally exude drugs. In the case of the drug approved on Friday, ATryn, this means creating GMO goats that manufacture a crucial protein for use in the drug. These goats are the first "pharm animals" that have been approved for drug manufacture in America, though they have been used in Europe for at least two years. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5149922&view=rss&microfeed=true In a few years, dairy farmers will be able to order special genetically-modified cows that produce 20% more milk than common cows. Researchers in Argentina have developed a strain of cow that produces extra bovine growth hormone, which apparently leads to the greater milk production. [via SciDevNet] More »
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This gorgeous, genetically-engineered tomato gets its deep purple color from Snapdragon flower genes. But European researchers didn't just splice those genes into the tomato for aesthetic reasons. In a recent issue of Nature, the researchers write that Snapdragon transgenes also boosted the tomato's natural anthocyanin levels by threefold, which means the fruit now has the antioxidant properties of a blackberry or blueberry. Cancer-susceptible mice eating the purple transgenic tomatoes had far longer lifespans than those who didn't. [via The Biotech Weblog] More »
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Just hold 'em under fluorescent bulbs, and they're like living, purring holiday lights! A Korean team of genetic engineers has created a super race of glowing red kitties. What everyone seems to have forgotten is that several years ago, bio-artist Eduardo Kac had some French engineers build him a glowing green bunny. More »
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Eggplant has always had a dodgy reputation, and some Cornell researchers working with India's Sathguru Management Consultants have just made the plump purple fruit even weirder. They've rigged the eggplant genome to express a "natural insecticide" that will drive away pesky fruit and shoot borers, bugs which routinely ravage crops throughout India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. The bug-killing eggplants are called Bt eggplants because their new insecticide-producing powers come from the spliced-in genes of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt eggplants will likely hit your tastebuds in 2009, and are the first GMO to come to Southeast Asia. Are they safe? Cornell reports: More »
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