Three green fluorescent pigs were born recently at the Northeast Agricultural University, in Harbin. [Photo: bjd.com.cn]

Chinese scientists have successfully bred partially green fluorescent pigs which they hope will boost stem cell research, a leading scientist said.
  
By injecting fluorescent green protein into embryonic pigs, a research team at the Northeast Agricultural University managed to breed three transgenic pigs, said professor Liu Zhonghua of the university's College of Life Sciences.
  
"The mouth, trotters and tongue of the pigs are green under ultraviolet light," said Liu.
  
Genetic material from jellyfish was injected into the womb of a sow which gave birth to the three pigs 114 days later in Harbin, he said.
  
Researchers will be able to monitor changes in the tissues of the transgenic pigs, commonly used to study human diseases, during their physical development, said Liu.

The Chinese scientists bred this kind of pigs successfully with somatic cell nuclear transfer technology following their counterparts in the United States, South Korea and Japan.