Vietnam successfully implanted glowing fish

Glowing fish due to gene transplants were created in Vietnam. Dozens of glowing fishes are now carefully kept at the Stem Cell Laboratory - HCMC University of Natural Sciences.

The glowing fish is made of zebrafish, the English name is Zeabra fish , the scientific name Danio rerio . After being genetically modified, the fish glowed with strange blue light in low light and brighter in the dark. This experiment was conducted by the group of Biotechnology on humans and animals - Department of Stem Cell Research, Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences.

The team used the jellyfish's Green Fluorescent Protein GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) gene to convert the gene of zebrafish with genetic engineering. Through gene-shooting techniques, scientists used pTracer-CMV2 (Plasmid) to attach genes to fish embryonic stem cells (fish eggs),

Glowing fish, looking in the dark room (Photo: Stem Cell Research Room)

These seahorses after the transgenic process under normal light conditions are pink-brown in color, but when the light turns a light fluorescent color, the fish will turn bright green. In particular, their bodies will glow fluorescent green light in the night.

The first batch of fish has 12 children of mature age, breeding, about 2.5 cm long and gave birth to the first batch, also capable of self-glowing.

The conditions for rearing these special fish are unchanged compared to normal zebrafish. Fish food and maturation and reproduction time of fish are completely normal. The life time of the fish stays the same for 20 days.

According to MSc. Phan Kim Ngoc belongs to the research group, the idea of ​​glowing fish topic started in 2004. After 3 years of experimentation, it is now possible to create glowing fish. In the coming time, the group will use the method of shooting coral's genes into zebrafish to be able to see the light of the fish during the day, in ordinary light, not necessarily bright in the night.

Master Phan Kim Ngoc said that the group has studied transgenic in mice and pigs with this method but has not been successful.

In zebrafish (low-level animals) with a simple biological structure, when transplanted jellyfish genes into fish embryonic cells, jellyfish genes are able to adhere and develop on fish embryos. In mice and pigs (higher animals), gene transfer is difficult to succeed in development.

From this experiment, it is possible to think of applicability that has practical significance in medicine, pharmacy, environment and even aesthetic technology when creating new features for animals.

Glowing fish, taken under the lights in the room (Photo: V. Giang)

Vinh Giang