Thursday, 20 December 2018

Rabbit to the Rescue?

It has been reported that a modified 'rabbit gene' has been inserted by GM technology into Devil's ivy, a house plant (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/19/houseplant-rabbit-dna-reduce-air-pollution-study-devils-ivy). The gene enables the plant filter out harmful pollutants such as chloroform and benzene. As I keep telling my students, the gene is not necessarily the exclusive property of the rabbit (many genes are shared by organisms e.g. humans share circa 20% of the genes a yeast has). So the rabbit was, presumably, a convenient source.

No comments:

Seeing the Changes 2127

In Loughor, saw a Buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) being mobbed by gulls. Also, spotted my first butterfly of the year in Penclacwydd: a ...