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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGene-editing experiment turns fluffy hamsters into 'aggressive' rage monsters
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Metro
@MetroUK
A team of scientists at Northwestern University in the US have accidentally created overly-aggressive mutant hamsters following a gene-editing experiment. 🐹
They were trying to increase bonding between the lovable animals but failed.
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metro.co.uk
Gene-editing experiment turns fluffy hamsters into 'aggressive' rage monsters
The results of the experiment were a 'startling conclusion'.
8:36 AM · May 27, 2022
https://metro.co.uk/2022/05/27/gene-editing-turns-fluffy-hamsters-into-aggressive-rage-monsters-16721041/
Using the controversial CRISPR technology, researchers at Northwestern University were examining a hormone called vasopressin and its receptor, Avpr1a.
They opted to try and remove the latter from a group of Syrian hamsters, with the expectation it would increase bonding and co-operation between the lovable little critters.
Thats because Avpr1a is understood to regulate things like teamwork and friendship as well as dominance and bonding.
Their expectation proved to be wrong. Very wrong.
We were really surprised at the results, said Professor H Elliot Albers, the lead researcher on the study.
We anticipated that if we eliminated vasopressin activity, we would reduce both aggression and social communication.
But the opposite happened.
*snip*
keithbvadu2
(36,744 posts)MagickMuffin
(15,933 posts)Science can be a pesky thing.
LonePirate
(13,414 posts)It shows us that gene editing can have some very unpredictable and potentially frightening results. If the wrong people were to perform an experiment like this, who knows what might result. If a test subject somehow escapes the lab, its introduction into the wild could produce some very bad results.
harumph
(1,897 posts)Hassin Bin Sober
(26,324 posts)ornotna
(10,798 posts)happen in the laboratory of the utility muffin research kitchen.
electric_blue68
(14,860 posts).
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milestogo
(16,829 posts)Nevilledog
(51,064 posts)Loved Baldur's Gate
Jerry2144
(2,096 posts)Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch
Ziggysmom
(3,406 posts)breeding. As pets you cannot keep same sex Syrian hamsters together because they will fight and injure each other.
Dwarf hamsters like Roborovski and Chinese Hamsters can SOMETIMES live with a roomie in the same cage. The pics in the article appear to show Syrian hamsters, not dwarfs.
Regardless, I love cute little hamsters!
electric_blue68
(14,860 posts)tblue37
(65,285 posts)Hassin Bin Sober
(26,324 posts)slightlv
(2,786 posts)from Firefly, if you ask me! What were they called .... Reivers?
Nevilledog
(51,064 posts)First thing that came to mind for me, also.
SWBTATTReg
(22,100 posts)going on...maybe that'll help in a small bit stop the proliferation of guns.
Tom Kitten
(7,343 posts)electric_blue68
(14,860 posts)MissB
(15,805 posts)The reboot, or one of the reboots.
electric_blue68
(14,860 posts)Reader Rabbit
(2,624 posts)Coulda saved them time and hamsters. Instead, they had to go and create their own little rodent Reavers.