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South Koreans Clone Beagles—and They Glow
By Harry Kimball
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Posted Apr 28, 09 3:55 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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South Korean scientists have cloned a group of four female beagles that glow red under ultraviolet light, the AP reports. The researchers inserted fluorescent genes during the cloning process, an achievement that could lead to advances in human medicine and science. “What’s significant in this work is not the dogs expressing red colors,” the lead researcher said, “but that we planted genes into them.”
The scientists have already started implanting disease-related genes during the cloning process, and hope the research could lead to therapies for maladies such as Parkinson’s. “This is a step forward,” a watcher said. “What is important now is on what specific diseases the team will focus on.” The beagles are the first dogs cloned with fluorescent genes, though the process has been completed with mice and pigs.