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Old 01-14-2006, 07:34 PM   #28
Electrophile
Jotter of Notes
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 11
The key thing about these pigs is they make a specific, human inserted, protein in all of their parts. The fact that they're green and photogenic makes it a news story, but the reason that Green Flourescent Protein (GFP) is used in these sorts of experiments is because it's easy to detect; you only have to shine the right light on the pigs. That's a fast and cheap experiment. Furthermore, GFP is also a small and easy to express protein so it's easier to work with.
From a basic research standpoint, no one knows what experiments will pay off in the long run, but having pigs make specific proteins may eventually be useful in organ transplantation from pig to human, or the knowledge may be useful in gene therapy of some sort.
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