Scientists Breed A Tougher Mouse

KingFishKingFish
edited August 2004 in Science & Tech
"Marathon mice," genetically engineered by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers, can run twice as far as their unaltered buddies. Previously, the only known way to increase endurance was through training.
With no previous running experience, most mice can run about 900 meters before exhaustion. But the genetically altered mice can run 1800 meters (more than a mile) before running out of steam, and keep it up for two and a half hours -- an hour longer than unaltered mice can run. "Records are broken on a fraction of a percent," said Ron Evans, the head researcher in the mouse experiment and a professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory at The Salk Institute. "A few percentage points is like a minute or two in a race. This was a big change: 100 percent." To perform the genetic enhancement on the mice, researchers injected a human version of a protein called PPAR-delta attached to a short DNA sequence. The injection permanently incorporated enhanced PPAR-delta production into the mice' genomes. The change is transgenic, meaning the mice will pass down the trait to future generations.
Is this a Viagra experiment in disguise? -KF

Source: Wired

Comments

  • croc_croc_ New
    edited August 2004
    ... and then they injected it into Steve Rogers and he became Captain America. wOoT WoOt.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited August 2004
    What a wonderful use of funds, mice that can run twice as far. How ever did we manage with mice that can only run as far as mice? :rolleyes:
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited August 2004
    the medical implications of this are astounding...

    Transfer this technology to humans. A soldier on the battlefield that can run twice as far for twice as long with out any training. Its 1 step closer to creating a super soldier that is faster stronger and smarter.

    xXUSERXx
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited August 2004
    Yeah, cuz um .. that's just what I want. I don't want my ass to be whooped by maniacal terrorists. I want it whooped by maniacal terrorists who can beat the living hell out of me twice as hard.

    On a slightly different note, am I the only one who thinks the end of our species will be manipulating genes we don't understand, and then being unable to repair our super-slightly-humanoid selves?
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited August 2004
    If you didn't notice, the mice were injected with a human protein complex. A human injected with it would probably be able to run no farther than, say, a human.
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited August 2004
    Hopefully when Norman Osbourne is working on the human serum he doesn't test it on himself and go crazy.
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited August 2004
    croc_ wrote:
    Hopefully when Norman Osbourne is working on the human serum he doesn't test it on himself and go crazy.
    ;D;D;D

    Sorry. I shouldn't laugh as I have strong feelings on human genetics. But..

    That's funny if almost surreal in that it _could_ happen.
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