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Encyclopedia > GloFish
A group of GloFish fluorescent fish
A group of GloFish fluorescent fish
An ordinary zebrafish
An ordinary zebrafish

The GloFish is a trademarked brand of genetically modified (GM) fluorescent zebrafish with bright red, green, and orange fluorescent color. Although not originally developed for the ornamental fish trade, it is the first genetically modified animal to become publicly available as a pet. GloFish image from http://www. ... GloFish image from http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (820x392, 98 KB) A w:en:Zebrafish (w:en:Zebra Danio). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (820x392, 98 KB) A w:en:Zebrafish (w:en:Zebra Danio). ... “(TM)” redirects here. ... Kenyans examining insect-resistant transgenic Bt corn. ... Binomial name Danio rerio (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822) The Zebra Danio or Zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio or Danio rerio) is a tropical fish, commonly kept in aquaria and used for scientific research, belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae). ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ... It has been suggested that Residential pets be merged into this article or section. ...

Contents

History

Early development

The original zebrafish (Zebra danio) from which the GloFish was developed is a native of rivers in India and Bangladesh. It measures four centimetres long and has gold and dark blue stripes, and over 200 million have been sold in the last 50 years in the United States ornamental fish market. Despite the number of zebrafish sold, they have never established any reproducing populations in the United States, primarily because they are tropical fish, unable to survive in the U.S.A. climate.


In 1999, Dr. Zhiyuan Gong and his colleagues at the National University of Singapore took a gene from a jellyfish that naturally produced a green fluorescent protein and inserted it into the zebrafish genome. This caused the fish to glow brightly under both natural white light and ultraviolet light. Their goal was to develop a fish that could detect pollution by selectively fluorescing in the presence of environmental toxins. The development of the always fluorescing fish was the first step in this process. Shortly thereafter, his team developed a line of red fluorescent zebra fish by adding a gene from a sea coral, and yellow fluorescent zebra fish, by adding a variant of the jellyfish gene. Later, a team of Taiwanese researchers at the National University of Taiwan, headed by Professor Huai-Jen Tsai, succeeded in creating a medaka (rice fish) with a fluorescent green color. University Cultural Centre The National University of Singapore (Abbreviation: NUS; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Abbreviated 国大; Malay: Universiti Nasional Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய பல்கலைக்கழகம்; Indonesian: Universitas Nasional Singapura) is Singapores oldest university. ... For other uses, see Jellyfish (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Green (disambiguation). ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... In biology the genome of an organism is the whole hereditary information of an organism that is encoded in the DNA (or, for some viruses, RNA). ... It has been suggested that Pollutant be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the natural environment. ... For other uses, see Toxin (disambiguation). ... Extant Subclasses and Orders Alcyonaria    Alcyonacea    Helioporacea Zoantharia    Antipatharia    Corallimorpharia    Scleractinia    Zoanthidea [1][2]  See Anthozoa for details For other uses, see Coral (disambiguation). ... A yellow Tulip. ... This article is about the history, geography, and people of the island known as Taiwan. ... Binomial name Oryzias latipes Temminck & Schlegel 1846 The medaka or Japanese killifish, Oryzias latipes, is a very small ricefish, popular as an aquarium fish native to Southeast Asia. ...


The scientists from NUS and businessmen (Alan Blake & Richard Crockett) from Yorktown Technologies, a company in Austin, Texas, met and a deal was signed whereby Yorktown obtained the worldwide rights to market the GloFish. At around the same time, a separate deal was made between Taikong, the largest aquarium fish producer in Taiwan, and the Taiwanese researchers to market the green medaka in Taiwan under the name TK-1. In spring of 2003, Taiwan became the first to authorize sales of a genetically modified organism as a pet. One hundred thousand fish were reported sold in less than a month at US$18.60 apiece. For clarity, these fluorecent medaka are not GloFish. They are not marketed by Yorktown Technologies, but instead by Taikong Corp, and they are not available in the United States or most parts of the world. “Aquaria” redirects here. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...


Introduction to the U.S. market

The GloFish was introduced to the United States market in December, 2003 by Yorktown Technologies of Austin, Texas, after more than two years of extensive environmental research and consultation with various Federal and State agencies, as well as leading experts in the field of risk assessment. The definitive environmental risk assessment was made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has jurisdiction over all genetically modified animals, including fluorescent zebra fish, since they consider the inserted gene to be a drug. Their official statement, made on the 9th of December 2003, was as follows: Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas, the seat of Travis County. ... Risk assessment is a step in the risk management process. ... “FDA” redirects here. ...

"Because tropical aquarium fish are not used for food purposes, they pose no threat to the food supply. There is no evidence that these genetically engineered zebra danio fish pose any more threat to the environment than their unmodified counterparts which have long been widely sold in the United States. In the absence of a clear risk to the public health, the FDA finds no reason to regulate these particular fish." [1]

Similar findings were reached by the State of California Department of Fish and Game and State of Florida Transgenic Aquatic Task Force.


Marketing of the fish was met by protests from a non-governmental organization called the Center for Food Safety. They were concerned that approval of the GloFish based only on a Food and Drug Administration risk assessment, would create a precedent of inadequate scrutiny of biotech animals in general. “NGO” redirects here. ...


To prevent this, the group, along with one of their sister organizations, filed a lawsuit in US Federal District Court to block the sale of the GloFish. The lawsuit sought a court order stating that the sale of transgenic fish is subject to federal regulation beyond the FDA's charter, and as such should not be sold without more extensive approvals. In the opinion of Joseph Mendelson, the Center for Food Safety's legal director:

It's clear this sets a precedent for genetically engineered animals. It opens the dams to a whole host of nonfood genetically engineered organisms. That's unacceptable to us and runs counter to things the National Academy of Sciences and other scientific review boards have said, particularly when it comes to mobile GM organisms like fish and insects. [2]

The Center for Food Safety's suit was dismissed on March 30, 2005. As of April 2007, no other biotech animals have been approved for marketing within the United States. is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Recent Developments

GloFish have continued to be successfully marketed throughout the United States. After more than three years of availability, there are no reports of any ecological concerns associated with their sale.


In addition to the red fluorescent zebrafish, trademarked as "Starfire Red", Yorktown Technologies released a green fluorescent zebrafish and an orange fluorescent zebrafish in mid-2006. The new lines of fish are trademarked as "Electric Green" and "Sunburst Orange", and incorporate genes from sea coral.[3] Despite the speculation of aquarium enthusiasts, it has been found GloFish are indeed fertile and will reproduce in a captive environment. However, the sale of any such offspring is restricted by US Patent number 7,135,613.


As of January 2007, sale or possession of GloFish is illegal in California due to a regulation that restricts all genetically modified fish. The regulation was implemented before the marketing of GloFish, largely due to concern about a fast-growing biotech Salmon. Although the Fish and Game Commission declined to grant an exception (solely on ethical grounds) in December 2003, it later reversed course and decided to move forward with the process of exempting GloFish from the regulation. However, due to the State’s interpretation of the California Environmental Quality Act, Yorktown Technologies was informed by State attorneys that it would first need to complete an extremely expensive study, which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to complete. According to the company’s web site, they have thus far declined to undertake this study. [4]


As of January 2007, Canada also prohibits import or sale of the fish, due to what they report is a lack of sufficient information to make a decision with regard to safety.


The import, sale and possession of these fish is not permitted within the European Union. On November 9, 2006, however, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) found 1,400 fluorescent fish, which were sold in various aquarium shops.[5] In February and March 2007 fluorescent fish were found on a fish fair and in a fish shop in Kiel, Germany. Authorities are now investigating the trading routes of the contraband. They believe the fish were smuggled in from Poland and came originally from Asia. These fish were not Glofish, but another strain of genetically engineered fish developed in Hong Kong and bred in China.[citation needed] In Germany one can be sentenced to jail for up to five years and a fine of up to €50,000.00 for possessing or trading in genetically modified fish. , For the city in the United States, see Kiel, Wisconsin. ...


References

  • "Troubled waters: fluorescent fish spark GM row" by A. Gumbel, May 4th, The Independent, London, England
  • "Leuchtfische aus dem Genlabor", by M. Robischon, August 2006 Natürlich 8: 6 - 13

For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... This monthly magazine is not to be mistaken for the daily Le Monde. Le Monde diplomatique (nicknamed Le Diplo by its French readers) is a monthly publication offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
GLOFISH, THE FIRST GM ANIMAL COMMERCIALIZED: PROFITS AMID CONTROVERSY (1000 words)
The GloFish, a fluorescent red zebrafish sold as a novel pet, has become the first transgenic animal sold to U.S. consumers.
The GloFish is a trademarked transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) expressing a red fluorescent protein from a sea anemone under the transcriptional control of the promoter from the myosin light peptide 2 gene of zebrafish
Commercialization of GloFish sparked legal action to force the FDA to exert regulatory oversight and block further sales.
GloFish® Photos (138 words)
GloFish® fluorescent fish are now on sale at a pet shop near you!
If you are looking for high-resolution photos for media articles or other publications about the GloFish® fluorescent fish, please use any of photos linked below.
Please credit www.glofish.com as the source for the photos, and it is not necessary to contact us directly for further permission.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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