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[font color="#000080"]Anyone ever heard of genetically modified fish?
For example genetically modified mice that glow in dark have gene(s) from jelly fish.
It would be nice to have the same gene(s) in fish.

You know what, I'm going to study gene technology and try to breed some genetically modified fish my self.

They have genetically modified ricefish to make them glow in the dark. They look pretty cool.

They have not made it out of the labs, however, and are illegal to sell.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

they also have danios that glow in the dark and are called glofish but i wouldnt get them there really expensive, u have to get them online and they are hard to keep alive

u have to get them online and they are hard to keep alive

Or your lfs... and they're zebra danios, they can live in a mud puddle out front and be happy

zebra danios are different and arent genetically modified
but glofis are based off of them]

Last edited by resle at 31-Oct-2004 12:08

I don't see the disdain for something like the glofish. It's not like a dyed fish where they had to inject it with damaging chemicals. I don't believe the fish is in any way harmed by having the genes required to produce photoluminescence. I don't see how they could even survive in the wild, what with having their own inborn giant beacon saying "Here I am!", so it's hard to even see concern over accidental releases.

zebra danios are different and arent genetically modified
but glofis are based off of them

ROTFL, you make it sound like they created a new species of fish. Zebra Danios can still breed with Glofish.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

i dont mean to brag but i was put in to a program for the extra smart and we just happened to do a whole coarse on genetic engineering and even did some experiments like going to a proffesional lab and altering the genes of bacteria to make them glow. and if nature has taught us anything its that she'll always find away so if they are released there is still a good chance theyll find a way to survive also by making them glow they are also altering there hardyness which was unavoidable along with many other changes

*ahem* You are bragging, though.

If they're released and they survive as well as normal zebras, then that is, itself, evidence that the fish aren't being harmed by the genetic modification, and that the fish are of comparable hardiness to other fish in such biotopes. I'm just pointing out that the odds are lower because of their prominent physical display. Platitudes like "Nature, she'll always find a way" mean absolutely nothing compared to the actual facts of what does or does not happen. Nature "found a way" by ruthlessly eliminating every single creature that didn't fit the criteria, so it's not meaningful to hold up some isolated species and claim that it'll "find a way" to survive in the wild.

Indeed, all they did was add an extra gene which allows them to glow under blacklight. So, instead of copying x number of genes during transcription/translation, they just copy x + 1.

By the way, I've also done the glowing bacteria lab, as well as making a strain of antibiotic resistant Rhodospirillum. All it takes is the right plasmid and the right restriction enzymes. It's not terribly complicated...

Joe Potato


Last edited by Joe Potato at 31-Oct-2004 15:24

I've got a glofish. They're kinda cool, but I don't think they're really worth the price.

There's a big debate over if it's right or wrong to genetically modify these fish, but I don't really care, I just think they're kinda cool and I wanted one...so I got 2 of them when they first came on the market. One of them disappeared a few weeks ago...I dunno where it went, but I think it got eaten

*ahem* You are bragging, though.

well i didnt mean to

my teacher said it wasnt as simple as adding one extra strand because u are also interfering with the existing dna which will most likly change it a bit but i could be wrong because that was last year so lets just leave it at that

For the record, I was in the "extra smart" program (Alpha) too, and have taken genetics courses as a Zoology major in college. It's not very difficult to make the genetic variation once they identified the gene that actually caused the jellyfish to glow. The genetic change that was done doesn't affect their hardiness, breeding abilities, or any other characteristic of them besides the fact that they're now the color of a fruit. The scientists who created them did not change anything about them except now, instead of being zippy little schooling fish with stripes, they're now zippy little burnt sienna schooling fish with stripes...

PM/email/msg me if you have any questions/comments regarding me or my knowledge or if you want me to read a thread.

[font color="#000080"]you guys know what....it's really freaky
i created this post yesturday and today we had our final year 12 biology exam
and there was a question on genetically modified fish
they spliced a gene from corals and put it in zebra fish (think they meant zebra danios)
and the question asked about how this can be done
and will this be an advantage to the fish or not

IT'S ACTUALLY ON MY FINAL EXAM!!!

i can't believe it....i can sense into the future
WOW...............



Last edited by JQW at 01-Nov-2004 02:06