Making cats glow isn't the only thing ACRES has done. They have successfully implanted wildcat embryos into domestic cats to produce a cloned African Wildcat. This cat later bred with another cloned African Wildcat, becoming the first cloned animals to breed naturally and produce a successful litter. ACRES has used this method of implanting endangered wild cat embryos into domestic cats to rear multiple species of threatened species, helping to stave off extinction one cat at a time.
Cloning has a small success rate and is an expensive process, leading many to think it's just not worth it. But as more work is done in the field, it will become more and more effective and manageable. ACRES is doing research that can help save species and that is something that shouldn't have a price tag.
Article: http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/6/4841714/where-cats-glow-green-weird-feline-science-acres-in-new-orleans
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyKt7Rr5Y88
Video 2: http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/6/5072524/detours-new-orleans-cloning-wildcats
I had no idea that such interesting work was being done before reading your summary! I begin reading and thought "that is interesting that they made a cat glow, but what is the point?" To read that this interesting work can be used to identify genetic diseases is fascinating. To be able to create a cloned animal that can successfully reproduce is even more interesting. Yet, this work is not just interesting, it can be useful. I am interested to see the impact this work has and what ACRES can do with this research to solve some of the world's greatest problems.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think this is awesome, since I was in the group with the Green Thumb Project. Our idea was to have plants glow green in presence of water deficiency. I think this article plays a crucial in our own project because cats are much more complicated species to manipulate. This means that if cats can be manipulated to glow so can plants.
ReplyDeleteWhile your article seems interesting I fail to see the important of this experiment in reference to the target. The majority of species do not become endangered due to diseases but because of habitat destruction. This experiment would be useful in following the transmission of diseases if they are using cats as analogues to people, but to use this with concern over endangered species just does not seem logical.
ReplyDelete