CRISPR and its role in creating glow-in-the-dark animal species:
Illuminating the Dark: The Role of CRISPR in Creating Bioluminescent Animals
In the realm of genetic engineering, CRISPR has emerged as a revolutionary tool, enabling scientists to edit genes with unprecedented precision. Among its myriad applications, one of the most visually striking is the creation of animals that glow in the dark. This isn't science fiction; it's the reality of biotechnology pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
The Science of Glow: How CRISPR Works
CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a natural defense mechanism found in bacteria. Scientists have harnessed this system to target specific genes in an organism's DNA and introduce changes, such as the addition of a gene that codes for bioluminescence.
A Spectrum of Radiant Research Subjects
The list of glow-in-the-dark creatures created through CRISPR is growing, encompassing a variety of species. Researchers have successfully modified animals such as sheep, rabbits, and cats to carry a green fluorescent protein (GFP) originally found in jellyfish¹²⁴. These animals exhibit a green glow when exposed to ultraviolet…
