How was GFP bunny created?
Chicago-based artist Eduardo Kac thinks so. With the assistance of genetic scientists, Kac introduced green fluorescent protein (GFP) from a jellyfish into the genes of an albino rabbit to create Alba, the glowing bunny. White under normal conditions, Alba emits a fluorescent green glow under a blue light.
Why was Alba the glowing bunny created?
Edouardo Kac planned to display Alba in Avignon, and then take her to live with his family in Chicago. He intended his green fluorescent bunny project to encapsulate the theme of biotechnology and its relation to family life and public debate.
How is the GFP gene transferred to the rabbits?
Sperm-mediated gene transfer was used to produce transgenic rabbits that expressed the porcine growth hormone gene under the control of a metallothionein promoter. The gene that encodes the selectable marker green fluorescent protein (GFP) was inserted downstream of the transgene.
What is transgenic art?
Transgenic art, I propose, is a new art form based on the use of genetic engineering techniques to transfer synthetic genes to an organism or to transfer natural genetic material from one species into another, to create unique living beings [1].
How was Alba made?
The French scientists created Alba using a process called zygote microinjection. In this process, the scientists plucked a fluorescent protein from a species of fluorescent jellyfish called Aequorea victoria. Then they modified the gene to make its glowing properties twice as powerful.
Where was GFP originally cloned?
In the 1960s and 1970s, GFP, along with the separate luminescent protein aequorin (an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of luciferin, releasing light), was first purified from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria and its properties studied by Osamu Shimomura.
Is Alba the rabbit still alive?
Alba, the glowing rabbit that made headlines two years ago for being, well, a glowing rabbit, has met an untimely death, according to the French researcher who genetically engineered her. Alba the glowing rabbit was 4 years old.
When did Alba The rabbit died?
Alba’s lifespan is an open question. In 2002, a US reporter called INRA (France), where Houdebine works, and was told that Alba had died.
When did ALBA The rabbit died?
What is transgenic rabbit?
Transgenic rabbits have been most commonly used as models for studies of cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and long QT syndrome, in addition to their use in studies of cancers, AIDS, and other human diseases.
What materials did Eduardo Kac use?
A multidisciplinary artist, Kac has also employed poetry, fax, photocopying, photography, video, fractals, poetry, RFID implants, virtual reality, networks, robotics, satellites, telerobotics, Morse code and DNA extraction in his practice.
What does the term transgenic refer to?
Transgenic refers to an organism or cell whose genome has been altered by the introduction of one or more foreign DNA sequences from another species by artificial means. Transgenic organisms are generated in the laboratory for research purposes.