Green Glowing Sperm to Aid Fertility Work

[Analog]

A technique to make sperm glow green could aid research into infertility, say scientists.

An Oxford University team extracted a gene that manufactures a green protein in a jellyfish and used it to create green sperm in hamster testicles.

Hamsters have similar sperm to humans and therefore provide an ideal model for studying human sperm development, and how things go wrong.


The Oxford team say the technique should allow many different aspects of gene function in sperm to be analysed in close detail.

It should be possible to highlight specific genes within the sperm using the jellyfish protein, and then to follow their progress.

Lead researcher Dr John Parrington said: "Our real aim is to use this technique to study the function of genes that are important during fertilisation and that may cause infertility if they become defective.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4263996.stm

 

[sic wil]

Hmm instead of sailors they shall now be referred to as "Little green men."

 

[Savarak]

now the scientists need to figure out how to add tie-fighter type spoilers and turbo... some nice chrome spinners too

 

[knyghtbyte]

sitting at work creasing up here...

i dunno why, its just the hamster testicles bit....LOLOLOLOL

 

[SagaLore]

So what happens when the hamster mates... and they have a litter... are the babies bright green? :Q

 

[quakefiend420]

R