Scientists create first genetically engineered glowing cuttlefish

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Columbia University scientists produced seven cuttlefish that glow red under fluorescent light. It is the first time anyone has successfully added a new gene to a cephalopod - the group that includes octopuses and squids.

The feat took six years and thousands of embryos. The goal is to make cuttlefish neurons light up as they fire, so researchers can watch how the animal's brain controls camouflage - its chameleon-like ability to copy surrounding patterns onto its skin.

Cuttlefish eggs are wrapped in dozens of layers of jelly. CRISPR barely worked in these animals, and Montague had to sequence the dwarf cuttlefish genome to find the right genetic switches. She switched to a DNA insertion method called transposons to get the gene in.

Why it matters

Cuttlefish camouflage shows how brains turn perception into action. Glowing neurons could reveal how intelligence evolved away from mammals.

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Key Indicators

Glowing cuttlefish produced

The first cephalopods to carry an added gene; the trait passes through eggs and sperm to offspring.

4,000+

Embryos injected with CRISPR

CRISPR was so inefficient that thousands of injections were needed before one male showed glowing sperm cells.

5.5 GB

Dwarf cuttlefish genome size

Nearly twice the size of the human genome; sequenced for the first time to locate gene-expression control regions.

6 years

Duration of the research effort

From the first injection attempts to the preprint reporting seven glowing cuttlefish.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Tessa Montague

Neuroscientist at Columbia University; lead researcher on cuttlefish transgenics

Has produced the first transgenic cephalopods; pursuing neural activity imaging

Joshua Rosenthal

Cephalopod biologist at the Marine Biological Laboratory

Collaborated on cuttlefish transcriptome sequencing; commented on the advance

Organizations Involved

Columbia University

University

Hosts the Axel lab where the glowing cuttlefish were produced

The Axel lab at Columbia houses about 200 dwarf cuttlefish tended by two full-time animal specialists.

Marine Biological Laboratory

Research institution

Partner on cuttlefish transcriptome sequencing; Rosenthal's institution

A research center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, focused on marine biology including cephalopods.

Timeline

January 2023 September 2026

2 events Latest: Yesterday

September 2026
Preprint reports first transgenic cephalopod
Latest Publication

Seven cuttlefish glow red under fluorescent light; the gene passes through eggs and sperm to offspring.
Yesterday
January 2023
Montague presents cuttlefish transgenics progress at SICB
Research update

Montague describes finding an actin promoter and the challenge of injecting jelly-wrapped embryos.
January 1st, 2023

Scenarios

Neural imaging achieved in glow-cuttlefish

Possible Resolves by Sep 28, 2028

Discussed by: The research team's stated goal, reported by Science and the Node

Montague wants to drive GCaMP, a fluorescent calcium indicator that lights up when neurons fire, in the cuttlefish brain. The preprint establishes the transgenesis pipeline; the named next step is identifying neuronal promoters to drive GCaMP expression. If she succeeds, the glowing line becomes a tool to watch how camouflage patterns are generated in real time.

Transgenic technique extends to octopus and squid

Possible Resolves by Sep 28, 2028

Discussed by: Joshua Rosenthal at the Marine Biological Laboratory and other cephalopod researchers cited by Science

The transposon-based method and the sequencing playbook could transfer to other cephalopods. Rosenthal called the advance one that opens up possibilities. Each species will need its own pipeline, since cephalopod eggs differ in size, jelly layers, and how they tolerate injection.

Advance stays confined to Montague's lab

Possible Resolves by Sep 28, 2028

Discussed by: Baseline scenario; the steep technical difficulty cited throughout coverage

The barrier to entry is high: thousands of injections, custom quartz needles, and months of animal husbandry. If Montague's group doesn't publish neural imaging work and no other lab reports cephalopod transgenesis, the near-term impact stays narrow.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1962

Shimomura isolates GFP from a jellyfish (1962)

Osamu Shimomura extracted a protein from the crystal jelly Aequorea victoria that absorbed blue light and emitted green. He had found green fluorescent protein, though its uses stayed unclear for decades until recombinant DNA tools matured.

Then

The discovery remained a jellyfish oddity until gene-cloning techniques made the protein usable as a marker.

Now

Shimomura shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery, which became the foundation of modern fluorescence imaging.

Why this matters now

The cuttlefish carry a synthetic fluorescent protein - a direct descendant of the molecule Shimomura found in 1962.

1994

Chalfie's GFP breakthrough (1994)

Martin Chalfie's team inserted the green fluorescent protein gene from Aequorea victoria into E. coli bacteria and C. elegans worms. The organisms glowed green with no added chemicals, proving GFP could mark gene expression in living cells.

Then

GFP became a standard biological marker, letting researchers watch proteins move inside living cells.

Now

The 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized Shimomura, Chalfie, and Tsien for GFP. Fluorescent proteins now light up neurons, tumors, and developing embryos across biology.

Why this matters now

Montague's glowing cuttlefish extend the chain Chalfie started - a fluorescent protein delivered into a living animal to make its biology visible.