News #6

Glow cat: fluorescent green felines could help study of HIV

Looking for something light to read I came across this article about an experiment on animals. This time the experiment was on cats. Apparently, the scientists were able to produce a glowing cat. As bizarre as it might seem, the experiment was not to produce a funny-looking animal but to help investigate HIV. The glowing cat is a genetically modified organism (GMO) and the ability to glow in the dark comes together with FIV. It is an equivalent of the HIV virus in humans. By the use of this technique the researchers will be able to make some developments in the HIV study.

                As far as I’m concerned, experiments on animals are cruel and in many cases pointless. In this case, I cannot say that the cat’s suffering is pointless. Its life will definitely benefit humans. On the other hand, I just feel sorry for it. What is more, there are other diseases, like malaria, killing enormous numbers of people in the third world countries. And nobody is doing anything about it.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/sep/11/genetically-modified-glowing-cats