LEXINGTON, KY - University of Kentucky fertility research scientist CheMyong Jay Ko is mentioned in the New York Times Magazine's 9th Annual "Year in Ideas" edition for his participation on a team that developed the first known fluorescent dog.
A mostly normal looking Beagle named "Ruppy" (a contraction of ruby puppy) was introduced to the world in the April 23, 2009 edition of New Scientist magazine, her paws glowing reddish pink when exposed to ultraviolet light.
The world's first transgenic dog, Ruppy has genes taken from another species, in her case, a luminescent sea anemone. The genes are present in all of her cells but due to pigments in her fur, her glow is visible only in places not covered by fur - ie: her paws.
According to the Times, "Scientists performed the experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of cross-species implants of genes that control for a specific trait," (glowing, for instance.) "The hope is," the Times continued, "that transgenic dogs can now be created to acquire specific human diseases, which will make them valuable biomedical research subjects."
The Ruppy team was led by Byeong-Chun Lee of Seoul National University in South Korea, where Ko earned his Ph.D in 1998.
Dr. Ko's research objective is to establish the best model to explain the roles of individual genes involved in the ovulatory process. His ultimate goals are to develop the best strategies to overcome infertility problems as well as designing better and safer contraceptives.
Ko, an Associate Professor in UK's Center of Excellence in Reproductive Sciences, explained to the Times that there is a second reason he would preferring a transgenic dog to the mice he now uses in his research: unlike the mouse which must be sacrificed to draw its blood, he can measure the hormones of dogs without killing them.