 into the Pelargonium cells, changing their DNA. The researchers then grew new plants from these modified plant cells.
The researchers note that the new variety of geraniums is also sterile and unable to breed with plants in the wild.
Making flowers that glow in the dark
As if unusually boosted scent, unnatural color, and pollen-free flowers weren’t freaky enough, Australian company Bioconst is working on glow-in-the-dark flowers using fluorescent genes isolated from … jellyfish.
The core area of research and development currently at the company is to create genetically engineered glowing plants that rely on 'green fluorescent protein' (GFP) to make flowers fluoresce a bright green. GFP is derived from the jellyfish, Aequorea victoria. The company already has a glowing flower, called Galassia (video below), that is treated with a fluorescent spray, but the jellyfish-flower puts the others to shame.
Let's just hope they don't accidentally splice aromatic compounds of the jellyfish into the flowers as well.