This is a little scary. I’m thinking that science has gone just a little too far.
Human milk from a cow? Read for yourself after the jump.
GM cows give ‘human’ milk
Cows have been genetically modified to produce human milk, it has emerged.
Human genes were introduced to a herd of 300 cows by Chinese scientists to provide an alternative to human milk.
The researchers are confident the milk will be as safe to drink as milk from ordinary cows.
‘The milk tastes stronger than normal milk,’ said Prof Ning Li, director of the China Agricultural University. ‘Within ten years, people will be able to pick up these products at the supermarket.’
The researchers reportedly used cloning technology to introduce human genes into the DNA of Holstein dairy cows before the genetically modified embryos were implanted into surrogate cows.
The milk produced by the offspring contains a human protein called lysozyme, which helps to protect infants from bacterial infections during their early days of life.
Other cows produce another protein from human milk called lactoferrin, which helps to boost the number of immune cells in babies.
The GM milk offered ‘similar nutritional benefits as human milk’, Prof Ning said.
He added: ‘The modified bovine milk is a possible substitute for human milk.’
However, the development has dismayed those opposed to GM foods. A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said it was ‘extremely concerned’ about how the GM cows had been produced.
And Helen Wallace, director of biotechnology watchdog GeneWatch UK, said: ‘There is a question about whether milk from these cows is going to be safe for humans.’
Genetically modified? As in ‘Mutant’?
If human genes were introduced into these cows, how long will it take before they start taking on human characteristics?
It seems the Minister of Defense has put up for auction.
One battleship! Bidding under way as of this writing. Hope my wife likes it!
An auction site run by the Ministry for Defense has listed several different vessels that they want to sell including the former flagship of The Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal which was declared as unnecessary and outlined for decommissioning in the defense budget review announced by the government last year.
During it’s 25 years in service the HMS Ark Royal had been involved in many operations and as part of the Iraq invasion conflict headed the UK’s naval force.
Anyone interested in buying the HMS Ark Royal will have up until 1000 BST on the 13th June to put forward their bids however the Ministry of Defense are insisting that any potential buyer will first have to submit an outlined brief of what “intentions regarding the vessel” they have planned. At present the Ark Royal is docked at her Portsmouth Naval Base home port where any potential buyers looking to make a bid may first view her subject to having first submitted their outlined plan.
The future of The Ark Royal is unknown as it could be sold just to be scrapped although other idea’s being proposed include turning it into a nightclub, a commercial heliport and even a security personnel base to be used while the London Olympics take place.
Other vessels that have been included on the auction site for sale include HMS Nottingham, HMS Southampton and HMS Exeter all of which are Type-42 destroyers.
Submit my intentions? I suppose ‘World Domination’ would disqualify my bid.
So while traveling on the plane both to and from Dubai, the typical pre-flight mumbo jumbo is announced. One of the instructions if to turn off your cell phones and do not use then during the flight. Anyone ever here that?
It seems it only applies to some, because as soon as we get in range, I must hear 50 or so phones, ‘bing, bing’ ing, announcing a new text message has been received.
Do people really not understand the verbage, ‘Turn off your cell phone’ spoken it at least two different languages?
I guess that isn’t as bad as the chap in front of me today that actually got a call, and answered it as we were coming in for a landing.
