From fish that glow in the dark to animal human hybrids, here are 10 creatures created
by scientists that will make you wonder, has science gone too far?
10.
Spider-Goats
Wait, what?!
After the inception of Spiderman in Marvel Studios, researchers at Utah State University
and the University of Wyoming were inspired.
They have successfully created a hybrid goat that spews out high contents of spider silk
in its milk!
Because that was something I was definitely missing in my life!!!
We all know that the special silk gene found in spiders helps them form webs and catch
their prey.
Spider silk is believed to be really tough, and given its mass density, it is regarded
to be even tougher than steel.
The scientists were hoping to find a way to harvest spider silk on a large scale since
it actually could have many different useful applications.
So the university researchers found a way to incorporate a harvested spider gene into
a common goat’s DNA and hallelujah it worked!
The goats’ milk was later tested and high silk protein contents were found in almost
70% of the specimens.
This could lead to a new range of applications in the medical as well as the automobile industry.
The material can absorb about three times its body weight and can be useful for manufacturing
ligaments and tendons.
It can also be useful for making airbags for cars and bulletproof vests.
From an ethical perspective, they say that this gene modification neither imposes any
health hazards, nor any behavioral changes in the goats.
We will have to wait and see...
9.
Glofish:
The lights out on an “Earth Hour” definitely won’t stop your colorful Glofish from glowing!
Too bad its genes won’t allow it.
This fish was first mutated in 1999 by Dr. Zhiywan Gong, who along with his teammates,
was working on a luminesce protein in Jellyfish.
The team harvested this protein and injected it into a Zebra fish’s embryo.
Why??
The main motivation behind this experiment was to design a fish that could detect the
presence of toxins for quantifying oceanic pollutions.
In theory these scientists were trying to do something good, but I am not sure about
the ethical implications, that is up for you to decide.
The experiment turned out to be a huge success, both scientifically and commercially.
Aquarium enthusiasts loved them, and the Glofish became the first and only genetically altered
animal to exist as a domestic pet on a large scale.
This glimmering fish can be made in several bright colors and is the most popular children’s
choice at a pet store.
These fish are able to absorb light from their surroundings and then re-emit it which gives
it that captivating glow.
Also if you happen to have a power outage, an aquarium with a bunch of Glofish might
be helpful in case you stumble around in the dark.
8.
Sudden-Death Mosquito
Hate mosquitoes?
You can’t kill them all, but you most certainly can stop them from multiplying.
Scientists from British Biotech Company, Oxitec have developed a genetically modified mosquito
that could be the end of viruses that cause millions of infections and deaths each year
due to malaria, dengue, and all other kinds of diseases..
This new breed of mosquito produces flightless females and practically sterile males that
either cannot reproduce or whose offspring die before reaching maturity.
Oxitec released the mosquitos with the altered deadly protein onto an island.
The transfer of bad genes sometimes even killed the female mosquitoes before they could reproduce,
resulting in an overall decrease in the mosquito population.
Hence the name “Sudden-Death”.
Death for them, not for you.
However, this experiment has been highly criticized by scientists and environmentalists who argue
it is unethical to wipe out an entire species.
There also might be huge negative effects on the ecosystem.
What can be good about mosquitos?
Who cares about them anyway?
Well, according to Nature magazine, without mosquitos thousands of plant species would
lose their pollinators and many animal species would lose their food source.
However, it is very interesting that many scientists and researchers say that the niche
would be filled quickly by other organisms and life might go on just as before, or even
better!!!
The inventors of the sudden-death mosquito argue that this project would help humans
fight off deadly diseases but it is very hard to say what the consequences to the global
ecosystem might be.
7.
Fast-Growing Salmon
Fish, especially salmon is an important source of proteins and amino acids.
AquAdvantage salmon developed by AquaBounty is a genetically modified salmon that has
been altered to make it grow faster and twice as big compared to its natural form.
This company aspires to create a cost-effective solution for the bulk production of fish meat.
In captivity, a fully grown hybrid would yield almost double proportions of fillet with equal
nutritional value.
The hybrid mutation cannot reproduce and thus, poses no threats to aquatic life in case it
ever manages to escape into the wild.
It would be the first genetically modified animal that was FDA approved.
In August 2017 AquaBounty said its transgenic fish had finally hit the market after a 25-year
wait.
When it first launched in Canada they sold 4.5 tons.
This could potentially be a great boost for the inland fish farming industry, which might
have to wait much longer for normal fish to grow.
If this trend were to become popular, it could decrease the amount of overfishing and ocean
farming, helping the marine ecosystem to recover.
AquaBounty’s new fish has terrified others working in animal biotechnology, and it will
most likely be a few years before it hits markets in the US.
Would you feel comfortable eating this?
Let us know what you think in the comments!
6.
Vacanti Mouse
This laboratory mutation of a mouse is quite a disturbing image…
It has an extra growth over its back which resembles a human ear.
Its inventor Charles Vacanti at the University of Massachusetts Medical School planted cow
cartilage cells into a biodegradable mould that resembled a human ear.
He implanted this seeded mould under a mouse’s skin and observed it for days.
The experiment turned out to be successful as the cartilage nurtured naturally under
its skin.
It could then be harvested for someone who needed a new ear.
Shortly after its inception, the photos went viral over the internet.
Its unusual and uncanny appearance made people cynical about whether the photos were genuine.
The pictures provoked multiple protests and demonstrations terming genetic modification
unethical, even though in this particular case, no genes were modified.
Even though genes were not modified, what do you think about the Vacanti Mouse?
To learn more about the Vacanti Mouse and other experiments, be sure to check out my
video on “Strangest Things Grown in a Lab”
5.
See-Through Frog
Ever dissected a frog in one of your biology classes?
Feel bad about it?
You don’t need to feel that way anymore!
In 2007 it was announced that Japanese scientists have created a new kind of glass frog that
now possesses a fully translucent body.
Not to be confused with the glass frog from the Amazon, it was actually created through
traditional selective breeding, rather than genetic modification, using wild frogs with
a mutation that gives them pale skin.
This genetic advantage could help the frog to escape predators in the wild.
Little more revealing than a Harry Potter’s cloak, you can see all kinds of organs such
as the heart, liver, digestive glands, eggs etc. through its transparent skin.
Even its blood can be seen gushing through the blood vessels.
The good thing for teachers is that they won’t have to make students dissect frogs anymore.
Scientists can see the organs more closely, and observe various diseases and health issues,
such as the spread and growth of cancer, without killing the animal to see what is inside.
This genetic modification has undoubtedly made the see-through frog an important instrument
in medical testing.
Not sure if the frog is so lucky after all.
And now for number 4, but first be sure to subscribe!
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4.
Featherless Chicken
Meet the new mutation of your favorite domestic bird, a featherless chicken!
Scientists at Rehovot Agronomy Institute in Israel have genetically eliminated feathers
from the chicken.
It was an attempt to help warmer countries to cut down on cooling costs at a poultry
farm.
Great, so now besides everything else a chicken goes through, now it has to do it naked.
Off course if the companies are able to save money on air conditioning then they can invest
in more meat production.
Veterinarians, however, have a different story regarding the featherless birds.
They say that by genetically removing the feathers, the chickens are exposed to more
diseases compared to normal birds.
They have a weaker immune system which makes it highly exposed to viruses, bacterial infections,
parasites, and sunburn.
Bird specialists have also criticized this modification in chickens.
According to them, roosters use their wings while mating and removing flap feathers prevent
them from practicing their natural mating technique.
It can change the entire nature of the animal and make humans more exposed to illness.
It is strange to imagine that it is cheaper to genetically modify an animal to suit your
needs than to pay for air conditioning.
3.
Sterile Pink Bollworm
A regular pink bollworm used to be a farmer’s worst nightmare.
Also known as “Pinkie”, it was regarded as one of the most unwanted pests in America
and accounted for at least $21 million dollars in lost crops every year.
In the early 2000s, a genetic modification project was initiated.
Scientists took a group of pinkies and made them sterile.
Over 4 years, the modified sterile adult moths of the pinkie were released over the state
of Arizona in an effort to control the toxin-resistant population that had taken over the state.
Farmers had to agree not to spray any toxins in order not to kill the new population and
had to trust that the moths being released actually were sterile, if not they would have
an even bigger crisis on their hands.
These sterile moths competed for partners, food and survival along with the regular population.
This resulted in a massive decrease of the pinkie population by almost half just in the
first round.
The experiment turned out to be a huge success with an almost full elimination of the population
in the infected area.
2.
Belgian Blue
Think only humans can compete for Mr. Olympia?
Meet this new mammoth breed- the new Belgian Blue Super Cow!
Contrary to popular belief, this beast is not created with the use of any steroids.
Rather it can serve as a great example to demonstrate how much genetic control could
be achieved by selective breeding.
As the name indicates, this breed comes from Belgium.
It was initially a result of crossing a Shorthorn breed along with a Charo-lais cattle breed
from France.
The modern breed, however, was invented by Professor Hanset whose major works revolve
around artificial insemination.
In the US, it was first introduced by Nick Tutt who demonstrated this breed to locals
in Texas.
The animal has compounded muscle fibers which result in an Arnold Schwarzenegger-like body,
heavy muscle mass and lean meat.
However, these magnificent beasts are exposed to other health issues, mainly resulting from
an increased muscle mass.
Also, the giant structure causes stiffness in the leg joints.
The Belgian Blue heifers have narrow birth canals that make it difficult to give birth
and they are always assisted by C-sections.
The calves have long tongues which makes it quite hard for them to feed naturally.
The bulls have lesser fertility compared to other parent species.
In their recent study, the USDA has declared Belgian Blue’s meat to be the healthiest
in terms of high proteins and lowest fat content.
1.
Lab-made Chimeras:
If modifying mosquitos bothers you then you’d better prepare for this one.
Scientists at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, in La Jolla, California have declared
to have created a pig-human hybrid creature.
According to them this “pig-man” was made successfully at one of their labs.
According to them, the embryos were allowed to grow up to 28 days (a quarter of pig’s
pregnancy) in a pig’s womb, before being aborted.
This is done to study how a human’s and a pig’s embryo interact and grow.
Abortion is done in a timely manner so as to avoid any backlash over ethical concerns.
So 28 days is the ethical line apparently.
The idea behind mixing animal and human genes in the first place is to create an intelligent
species that, more or less, have a human-like aptitude at solving basic errands.
It could be a kind of human/animal assistant.
Scientists also argue that mixing genes could lead to the development of human tissues and
organs which could later be harvested for transplant patients.
Are you concerned yet about where this is going?
Thanks for watching!
What do you think are the moral implications of this kind of experimentation?
Do you think genetic modifications should be allowed?
Let us know in the comments below!
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