© December 14, 2007

From wire reports

South Korean scientists say they have cloned cats whose distinct genetic makeup means they glow red in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light.

The researchers at Gyeongsang National University, headed by Kong Il-keun, produced several of the kittens early this year, modifying a gene to change their skin color, government news media reported.

“The ability to manipulate the fluorescent protein and use this to clone cats opens new horizons for artificially creating animals with human illnesses linked to genetic causes,” the Ministry of Science and Technology said in Wednesday’s report. Scientists have been able to clone cats for about six years, but this time scientists altered the donor cat’s genetic code and passed those changes on to the clones.

The scientists reportedly modified the skin cells of the mother cat, a Turkish Angora, by using a virus to make the protein fluoresce.

Four of the glowing kittens were born in January and February of this year, but only three survived. Researchers found that even cells throughout the dead kitten fluoresced red, government news media said.