09 Dec 2009, Posted by Cat in News, 5 Comments. Tagged stupid
from work today
" Traditional breeding involves breeding organisms within the same species. In genetic engineering, however, genes are forced to move across often quite different species. For example, this kind of manipulation has seen cow genes inserted into soy beans, moth genes into apples, rat genes into lettuce, spider genes into goats and even human genes into rice. "
Spider genes into goats? That’s just damned irresponsible… All those hairy multi-eyed monstrosities rummaging through your garbage… and a plague of rat-lettuces sounds completely unhygenic.
5 Comments
December 9, 2009 9:01 am
chrisbarnes
The spider-genes-into-goats thing is about getting spider silk proteins into the goat’s milk. The proteins can then be extracted and used to create ultra-strong silk fibres for making strong, flexible new materials. Spider-goat gets my vote!
But rat-lettuce just sounds gross.
December 09 2009 23:30 pm
Cat @
yeah, I knew that. I'm doing a book on genetically modified food and crops & was feeling a bit silly towards the end of the day...
December 10, 2009 7:24 am
alanbaxter
“cow genes inserted into soy beans”
Do it the other way round and cows could produce soy milk. That’d drive the vego population nuts!
December 10 2009 08:20 am
Cat @
quick -- patent that idea!
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