Goodbye, and thanks for the fish

[Jurriaan Bendien <bendien@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday 22 November 2003, 1:40 Makka Time, 22:40 GMT

Originally bred to help detect toxins, a little tropical fish that glows
fluorescent red is set to be become the world's first genetically engineered
pet. The Texas-based Yorktown Technologies has licensed to sell as pets the
zebra fish, originally developed to detect environmental toxins. "These fish
were bred to help fight environmental pollution," company spokesman Alan
Blake said on Friday. "They were bred to fluoresce in the presence of
toxins," he said. Scientists have for decades used a gene called green
fluorescent protein, taken from jellyfish, to help in research.

The fish, sold under the trademarked name GloFish, carry similar gene taken
from a sea coral that makes it glow all the time. Blake said there is no
evidence the fish will pose any threat to the environment. Normal zebra fish
are commonly used in aquariums and cannot survive in non-tropical waters.
"They are very bright under any type of light," Blake said. "Under
ultraviolet light in a dark room they will appear to be glowing in the
dark," he explained. The fish, developed at the National University of
Singapore, will sell for about $5 apiece at pet stores from January.

Source:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A8C63AD7-7F1B-4D5B-95EF-0368AFE3ACFC.
htm