Genetically Modified Plants To Produce Natural Lighting 328
kkleiner writes "A team has launched a crowdsourcing campaign to develop sustainable natural lighting by using a genetically modified version of the flowering plant Arabidopsis. Using the luciferase gene, the enzyme responsible for making fireflies glow, the researchers will design, print, and transform the genes into the target plant. The project, which was recently launched on Kickstarter, has already raised over $100k with over a month left to go."
Mosquitos (Score:5, Funny)
Going to Hell in a (brightly lit) Handbasket (Score:5, Funny)
While I think this is pretty cool and all (Avatar anyone?), once people get a hold of the fact that the enzyme is called 'Luciferase', things could get rather warm for the company (at least in the US).
Re:Just say NO to GMO (Score:5, Funny)
One way to find out.
And you just added something to my list of things to try.
Re:Just say NO to GMO (Score:5, Funny)
This is GMO I can truly appreciate. Of course, I would also support development of gigantic venus-flytraps that are self-mobile...
$10,000 Pledge (Score:5, Funny)
Your name (or anything under 30 characters) will be written, in DNA, into the glowing plant genome!!
Just imagine if it was your name that caused the plant to produce an airborne toxin that caused the end of the world. (I'd blame my parents.)
Franken Bulbs and Glowing Mustard! Run! (Score:5, Funny)
Aren't they worried the pollen will drift and crossbreed with our all natural compact flourescents?
And they're doing it with mustard plants, Mandrake! Mustard for childrens hot dogs!
Re:Just say NO to GMO (Score:4, Funny)
Watching AC shit?
Re:No more GMO! (Score:5, Funny)
Go to google and type in "gmo tumors" or "gmo infertility" to research for yourself.
Wow. While I was at it, I googled "measles and autism" and "moon landing hoax."
After all, they can't put anything on the Internet if it isn't true. [youtube.com]
Re:Just say NO to GMO (Score:4, Funny)
So long as we're at this, do it to cows also. Not for the burgers, rather the milk. THC bearing cheese on the burgers, and THC milkshakes. (Talk about happy cows.)
Then you could make a fast food place specializing in stoner food.
I can imagine so many bad jokes along these lines, but I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
Re:Sustainable? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Mosquitos (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Mosquitos (Score:4, Funny)
Oh, it will keep working in countries where evolution is just a theory.
Bert
Re:Going to Hell in a (brightly lit) Handbasket (Score:5, Funny)
The name is derived from Lucifer, the root of which means 'light-bearer' (lucem ferre).
Wait... So, God allegedly says "Let there be light", and it's Satan that makes the Sun? The single most important object of this corner of the Universe? Not just one of them, but he's apparently done such a good job of the "light bringing" that there are billions upon billions of suns to chose from -- variety being the spice of life, and all that. Yeah, I'd be pissed at my boss too if he ignored the beauty of that master piece and instead went all gushy over a bunch of insignificant ungrateful chemical reactions on a single wet rock; That's like giving the GUI designer praise for a stable kernel and file system. Oh, hey, I know, Let's cast the insubordinate angel down into the thing he hates most -- Nevermind him having the power to create Stars, all of 'em -- instead of oh, I don't know, giving him his own different wet rock and saying, "Well if you're so damn smart then let's see YOU make some life"; No, the prickish boss of the Universe wouldn't want to give anyone else the chance to outshine them, eh?
Seems to me Satan's just under appreciated, and the fact the world still exists would point to a god-like degree of restraint or at least pity for said mentally midgetized primates -- I mean, it's not their fault they exist. I can't fault the guy for tripping up the little hairless apes whenever the opportunity presents itself to point out just how fickle and stupid they are -- I mean, what the fuck else did God expect to happen? Seems a bit of a dumb thing to do, IMO, unless you WANT the humans to wind up on the short end of the morality stick.
Well, I guess you can't blame the writers since they hadn't invented the terms "plot hole" or "antagonist sympathy" yet and thus had to rely on the oldest plot-hook in the book, "irrational demonization". No wonder new UFO religions are springing up; I mean, if there's a market for origin stories this bad then ANYONE could weave a more believable tale and make a fortune.
Re:Just say NO to GMO. For Tinuctup, anyway... (Score:4, Funny)
How many of you immediately thought of Slaver Sunflowers?
(Ref: Larry Niven "Known Space" series. If you haven't read it, do...)
Re:Mosquitos (Score:2, Funny)
It is not gods will for mosquitos to glow, he will kill them all slowly.