By Evan Ackerman
Back in May, I postulated that GlowFur apparel must be made from some critically endangered radioactive animal. Turns out I was wrong; it’s actually made from genetically modified fluorescent kitty cats. Okay, I’m kidding about the GlowFur thing, but I’m not kidding about the genetically modified fluorescent kitty cats, which glow red when exposed to ultraviolet light:
The Turkish Angola kittens (there are currently two of them) were cloned from skin cells, and a virus was used to add a red fluorescing protein into their genes. The research should help with the understanding of genetic disorders, with cloning endangered species of cats, with the glowing fur industry, and with totally freaking people out at pet-friendly raves.
[ Korea Times ] VIA [ Spulch ]
To bad they only glow under UV light. It’d be kinda cool if they bio-luminesed. Then you’d have true glowing kitties, and wouldn’t step on them in the night.
I’d hate to see the botched versions before this one turn out okay.