Alba (rabbit)
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- This article is about a name for a rabbit. For other uses please see Alba (disambiguation).
Alba refers to a genetically modifed "glowing" rabbit. Alba was an artistic work made by the contemporary artist Eduardo Kac based on one of the experiments with rabbits lead by French geneticist Louis-Marie Houdebine. Houdebine used the GFP gene found in the jellyfish Aequorea victoria that fluoresces green when exposed to blue light. When Alba was exposed to such light she would literally glow green. Eduardo Kac describes Alba as an animal that does not exist in nature. In an article published in the Boston Globe [1], Houdebine admitted creating Alba for Kac and stated that Alba has a 'particularly mellow and sweet disposition.' This article generated a global media scandal, which caused Houdebine to distance himself from Kac's work. All subsequent media articles present variations on Houdebine's disengagement effort.
The lifespan of Alba is an open question. She may or may not be dead. In 2002 a US reporter called INRA (France), where Houdebine works, and was told that Alba had died. The reporter published an article stating that Alba was dead but the only evidence she provided was this quote: "I was informed one day that bunny was dead without any reason" [2]. Rabbits can live up to 12 years but often do not in captivity.
In the EMBO Members Meeting in Barcelona (Oct, 28, 2007), Louis-Marie Houdebine presented in detail his version of the reality of 'The GFP rabbit story', placing emphasis on the usual sensationalism of journalists and TV media [3].
[edit] References
- ^ Cook, Gareth. "Cross hare: hop and glow", Boston Globe, 9/17/2000, p. A01.
- ^ Kristen Philipkoski, “RIP: Alba, the Glowing Bunny”, Wired News, Aug, 12, 2002
- ^ “Dealing with difficult topics in public: A communication workshop focused on controversial issues in science”
