Genetic supermice

[Gray Fox]

A genetically modified "supermouse" which can run twice as far as a normal rodent has been created by scientists working in the US.

It also lives longer, and breeds later in life compared with its standard laboratory cousin.

The research has been conducted at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Details of the scientists' new transgenic animals are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The mice were produced to study the biochemistry at play in metabolism and could aid the understanding of human health and disease.

The GM rodents can run five to six kilometres at a speed of 20 meters per minute on a treadmill, for up to six hours before stopping.
They are metabolically similar to Lance Armstrong biking up the Pyrenees; they utilise mainly fatty acids for energy and produce very little lactic acid," said Professor Richard Hanson, the senior author on the journal article.

He told BBC News: "The muscles of these mice have many more mitochondria. These are the little 'engines' in the cell that produce energy. For some reason, the number of mitochondria are around 10 times more than we see in the muscle of their littermates."

The mice over-express a gene responsible for the enzyme phosphoenolypyruvate carboxykinases (PEPCK-C). Normal expression is in the liver, in the production of glucose.

The scientists found their new mice would eat twice as much as normal mice - but weigh half as much. They could also give birth at three years old - which in human terms is akin to an 80-year-old woman giving birth.

The research is featured in the Journal of Biological Chemistry
Other research groups have produced similar novel rodents by altering different aspects of their genetics. One criticism of the work is that it could open the door to abuse, with the spectre of athletes resorting to gene therapy to try to improve their performance.

But Professor Hanson played this down. "Right now, this is impossible to do - putting a gene into muscle. It's unethical. And I don't think you'd want to do this. These animals are rather aggressive, we've noticed."

Scientists say such work is more likely to help them understand human conditions, such as those which lead to wasting of the muscles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7074831.stm

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Is a holy shit and a D: in order for this thread?

Just in case...HOLY SHIT D:

 

[simonjedi]

tbh

 

[lePobz]

Cheap source of renewable energy?

 

[Tyguy]

now we need super mouse traps...great

 

[Vegeta897]

I can foresee a new TV show much like Battlebots except players will put their genetically altered mice to the test and beat the other mice.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

tbh

OH SHIT!

caps

 

[The Monkey]

It's political mouseness gone mad!

 

[spunge]

It's political mouseness gone mad!

I think I'm going to commit suicide, thanks

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

I think I'm going to commit suicide, thanks

Pics/video or I won't lol my pants.

 

[Cheomesh]

I think I'm going to commit suicide, thanks

Become an hero?

 

[Tyguy]

Become an hero?

he put an n before hero, what a silly goose!!!!!

I cant wait until we carry this technology over to soldiers. Until then, we have to deal with mice who can kill a house full of cats.

 

[evil^milk]

Cheap source of renewable energy?

Yay at your avatar.

As to the article, that is pretty fascinating.

 

[lePobz]

Heh, someone noticed ...

 

[Cheomesh]

he put an n before hero, what a silly goose!!!!!

I cant wait until we carry this technology over to soldiers. Until then, we have to deal with mice who can kill a house full of cats.

No.

 

[el Chi]

They are metabolically similar to Lance Armstrong biking up the Pyrenees, intellectually similar to Stephen Hawking whilst re-evaluating his stance in the Thorne-Hawking-Preskill bet, diplomatically on a par with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her presidency of the European Council, wittier than Oscar Wilde in his heyday, tougher than Terminator and Predator put together and sexier than Debbie Harry before she got all old.

Although of course I may have embellished those findings somewhat.

 

[jondy]

Oh, delicious winrar, how I adore you so.

"And I don't think you'd want to do this. These animals are rather aggressive, we've noticed."

Mother of God

 

[<RJMC>]

*music starts kicking*

citizen: oh my god a giant alien insect is destroying the city?
citizen2:? what is that? is a train!
citizen3:is a deadly ray!
citizen4:is neo!?

"no is...SUPER GENETIC MOUSE!"

super genetic mouse:I gotta do it!

"whit his super speed he can create vortex that can alter the force of gravity"

*SG mouse swirls around creating a tornado like stuff that stuns the monster but destroy everything nearby *

"super duper strength to crush any obstacle!"

*SG mouse punch monster and send it flying to the other side of the city leaving a trait of destruction*

"and vision of lazer!"

*SG mouse use vision of laser and burn monster whit the rest of the city*

"super genetic mouse will never surrender!"
citizen1: you destroyed the 90% of the city and killed the 95% of population but you did it super genetic mouse!

SG mouse: I did it once again...farewell my citizens!

*SG mouse leaves running and the force destroy what was left og the city*

END

 

[evil^milk]

*music starts kicking*

citizen: oh my god a giant alien insect is destroying the city?
citizen2:? what is that? is a train!
citizen3:is a deadly ray!
citizen4:is neo!?

"no is...SUPER GENETIC MOUSE!"

super genetic mouse:I gotta do it!

"whit his super speed he can create vortex that can alter the force of gravity"

*SG mouse swirls around creating a tornado like stuff that stuns the monster but destroy everything nearby *

"super duper strength to crush any obstacle!"

*SG mouse punch monster and send it flying to the other side of the city leaving a trait of destruction*

"and vision of lazer!"

*SG mouse use vision of laser and burn monster whit the rest of the city*

"super genetic mouse will never surrender!"
citizen1: you destroyed the 90% of the city and killed the 95% of population but you did it super genetic mouse!

SG mouse: I did it once again...farewell my citizens!

*SG mouse leaves running and the force destroy what was left og the city*

END

Vegeta, this is epic Flash material.

 

[Vegeta897]

You know flash, you do it

super genetic mouse:I gotta do it!

Best line, rofl.

 

[Dekstar]

If you do flash it up, you'd better have those exact lines in subtitle form.

 

[Vegeta897]

I don't have any time at all to do a flash as of now. Go find someone to record narration of it in the mean time.

 

[Que-Ever]

now we need super mouse traps...great

i lol'd.

Soem mice that weren't super genetic would be more impressive.