Glow-in-the-dark bunnies born in Turkey

The fluorescent rabbits will help scientists test gene therapy research, and join a long list of other animals that glow.

Scientists at the University of Istanbul and the University of Hawaii Manoa have just overseen the birth of rabbits that glow under black light, according to Discovery News.

The Turkish researchers used techniques developed by the Hawaiian scientists to develop the transgenic bunnies. Two of the eight rabbits in the litter successfully glowed. Under normal light, the rabbits appear white and look like untreated bunnies.

The furry creatures had been injected with a fluorescent jellyfish gene, adding them to the long line of test animals (mice, pigs, cats and dogs) who now sport the glow-in-the-dark trait.

But what's the point of fluorescent animals? As scientists test breakthrough gene therapy for other illness on the animals, they couple the insertion of the test gene with the unique jellyfish gene.

If the animal glows, the researchers know the genes have transferred successfully.

Source: http://news.msn.com