Is it possible to genetically engineer an oak tree with glowing leaves?
A couple months ago I went on a BioBridge Trip where we genetically engineered e. coli with the green fluorescent protein found in jellyfish. In my bio class we are also about half way through genetics. Anyway, on this biobridge trip it says a scientist, who’s name I forget, mutated the GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) gene so that it would generate different colors (grape, cherry, tangerine, etc.). Anyway, I was wondering if it was possible to take the gene that creates luciferase in fireflies and mutate it to be other colors. Also, I was wondering if you could make say an oak tree that’s leaves produced luciferase or a rose bush with glowing flowers? I know that all cells in an organism posess the full genetic code of that organism, could the leaves or flowers be made so that only they express that gene. For those that don’t know much about science and dismiss the thought right away here’s a tobacco plant that produces luciferase: http://campus.queens.edu/faculty/jannr/Genetics/images/dnatech/fluorescentTobacco.jpg
5 Responses
chicky_rox
31 Jan 2010
Eman Yalpsid
31 Jan 2010
Oh my gosh. I hope so
sabrina
31 Jan 2010
I think it’s possible. I can’t exactly explain how. I once seen a show on animal planet where scientists genetically engineered mice to make them glow the same color as the tobacco plant in the picture.
victor
31 Jan 2010
I think probably in the future, i know we can genetically engineer plants but a plant with an animal…that would be a stretch. possible definitely, just not right now.
Robert
31 Jan 2010
Similar to what Chicky said, there’s a picture in my bio book of a pig with jellyfish genes… and it glows. It’s a really cute pig… if only I could get a pig for a pet 
So, yes, probably.
i know they have glowing mice.
they spliced a gene from jellyfish into them.
they’re fluoro green…i have a picture of them in my bio book haha
so i suppose its possible