They have done this by attaching a novel, artificial promoter region to the jelly-fish gene that codes for the fluorescent protein. A promoter is, as its name suggests, a piece of DNA that kick-starts the process by which a cell manufactures the protein.

The researchers report in the journal Nature that their promoter can bring about abundant expression of the fluorescent protein in the eyes of species as diverse as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum.

The improved marker will be of immense value to geneticists attempting to develop new ways of tackling insect problems, believes Dr Wimmer.

In combating malaria, for example, it might be possible to genetically-engineer the mosquitoes to not pass on the parasite that causes the disease. Some insects that destroy crops could be made sterile. Using the German marker, scientists would be able to tell quickly and easily which of their experimental lines were showing promise.

It will propel a lot of insect biology," Dr Wimmer told the BBC. "You cannot kill insects with green eyes - that's perfectly clear - but you can use it as a tool to push your research forward."

Fruit fly with green eye

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/535240.stm

Flour beetle

A flock of designer hens, genetically modified with human genes to lay eggs capable of producing drugs that fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases, has been created by British scientists.

Researchers at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, which created pioneering GM animal "drug factories" such as Tracy the sheep as well as Dolly the clone, have bred a 500-strong flock of ISA Browns. These are a prolific egg laying French cross between Rhode Island Red and Rhode Island White chickens.

A ‘transgenic’ (GM) hen delivers an egg containing drug therapies at a fraction of normal cost. They make proteins used as drugs produced in the whites of their eggs. This makes up 54% of egg whites, around 2.2g per egg. They offer the prospect of mass-producing at a fraction of the price drugs that cost thousands of pounds a year per patient. This marks an important advance in the use of farm animals for the production of pharmaceuticals.

They inserted the human genes into chicken embryonic stem cells, then blended those cells with those of a normal chicken embryo to create a chimera, a blend of GM and normal cells. The genes were passed on to the next generation. There have been attempts to make protein drugs in the milk of sheep, goats, cattle and rabbits, the team believes that the conversion of chickens into "bioreactors" offers many advantages. They produce more quickly and are much cheaper to look after.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/15/nhealth15.xml

Explain the ever-increasing need for insulin produced by biotechnology.

Your body has too much glucose (sugar) in its blood, a potentially fatal condition.Insulin moves it out of the blood, into the cells where it is broken down to produce energy.

Control involves regular checks of blood sugar before and after meals. Insulin injections (2 - 4x day).

In older people it involves diet changes, weight loss, exercise and often insulin tablets or injections.

Insulin jet system

1971- 55.9 million

Over 65- 7.4m

Under 16- 14.2m

2006- 60.6 million

Over 65- 9.7m

Under 16- 11.5m

+ 31%

- 19%

+ 8%

Over 85’s

One problem:Diabetes develops in older people when their pancreatic cells stop making insulin

+ 6% More diabetics

They live longer

Allergy to animal sources of insulin

The Issue:

Ethical objections

Some people allergic

More risk of side effects

Slaughtered cattle, sheep & pigs

Genetically engineered bacteria

Identical to human insulin no side-effects

Pure no allergies

Produce large quantities meets demand

Quick & relatively cheap animals slow, expensive