Australian Scientists Produce Giant Mutant Mice

SuperCujo writes: "Scientists in Australia have done some fun things with genetics and produced some mice that are 30-40% bigger than normal. They removed a gene from their DNA that makes the body produce a growth-inhibiting protein. Imagine these giant mice in your kitchen :)" Inhibiting an inhibitor seems like a more elegant approach than adding growth hormones to mice. The researchers say the work "may lead to developing new medicines for the treatment of growth and muscle-wasting disorders."

Comments

Mouse Eugenics

[Skald]

So what's the story behind all this stuff? Scientists have produced mice that are 30-40% larger than normal, mice which live 3 times as long as normal mice, and, of course, the brilliant Doogie Mice.

We seem to be laying the groundwork for a master race of mice... but why? Maybe there's more to Hitchhiker's than we thought...

Does it work on animals after birth?

[BrianW]

From what I understand, you can't make genetic alterations to animals, people, etc once they're developed (those mice were born with the altered genes), ruling out the possibility of tampering with people who want to change some genetic aspect of themselves. However, there's always talk of using genetic modifications because someone decides that they'd like to be taller, or have green eyes, or something.

Is this right, or am I holding the end of the stick that has "this is the wrong end" written on it?

"Overclocked" mice - do they work as well?

[Seth Finkelstein]

This seems very similar to CPU overclocking. Change one "regulator" setting (in fact, in the "BIOS"), and presto - overclocked mice!

But do they need little cooling fans in their cages? (perhaps because their surface heat dissipation system is no longer enough to handle their heat generation?).

Has anyone run CPU (i.e. brain) diagnostics on them?

Re:"Overclocked" mice - do they work as well?

[Alik]

Actually, relative heat loss is determined by an animal's surface area/volume ratio, and larger animals have lower SA/V. An elephant retains body heat much better than a mouse, and the mouse compensates for this by having a metabolism from hell.

So, in theory, if one grew a mouse the size of a dog and left its metabolic rate alone, yes, it actually might have troubles with overheating.

That's pretty cool.

Re:We need to stop this "bit of fun" now

[voop]

Nonsense, thinking that we are somehow able to improve upon the Divine plan of God is hubris of the highest order. God's plan has given us the wonderful variety of life that we see today, not some "scientist" more interested than having his name on a paper than the ethical and moral implications of their work.

I know I am entering the really deep water here - peoples belifs are to be taken seriously - but I beg to offer a slightly different opinion on this. Not a flame - just a slightly different opinion...

First, one could argue that genetic engineering might be part of this "God's" plan in the first place. After all, "God" being a (the) supreme being, then everything must be in accordance with this beings schedule, no? Including the scientists work on genetic engineering?

Secondly, I am much more afraid of what people on this planet might go about doing with such a technology, than I am of what "God" might do. As other posters have pointed out, there are plenty of madmen out there, who would make super-{soldiers|workers|scientists|whatever} (no need to mention a trivial thing such as "super-sports-stars", which has been tried for years through doping etc). Ok, in accordance with my first point, actions of such madmen may just be the "punishment of God" for tampering with the genes. However I do have a hard time believing that a supreme being would include in his plan " 1) make mankind do something clever, 2) punish mankind for 1)".

Thirdly, I believe that there is more to it than that scientists are only aiming for "getting their name on a paper". Being in science myself, I know that publication is a major goal for any scientist (the only measure you are evaluated against is your publication rate, usually). I also agree, that during the process of researching, very little concirn is usually given to the ethical implications of the research. To me, personally, and probably to a lot of others, this is because...well, I am not personally qualified to evaluate such. Blinded by the "coolness" of some discovery and all the wonderfull things this discovery will do, I doubt that a scientist is much capable of taking two steps backwards and saying "hey, this may be bad, I better not publish". After all, scientists are only humans (maybe we should investigate genetically engineering better and more ethical scientists to prevent ideas such as "genetic engineering" from emerging?).

Fourthly, I believe that for some scientist to decide against publishing a discovery of some sort or should decide against researching some area based on "ethics" is just as harmfull - and unethical. Preventing the world from learning secrets of life might also be preventing the world from becomming a better place to live.

That is, not saying that all new discoveries are good. They are not. But they should not be dismissed solely on the basis of being "new" and potentially applicable for "unethical" purposes. Everything can be applied in both a good and a bad way...

I say their gearing up for war....

[yek401]

Lets look at the facts folks:

We've made them bigger.
We've made them smarter.
We've made them glow.
We've cured their diabetes.
We've even armed them with ears on their back!

Am I saying the world is going to be taken over by hyperintelligent glowing super mice that shoot insulin from the ears on their backs?

Of course not!

I'm saying the pan-galactic beings from another dimension who run this planet are getting ready for war, and they are using the Earth as a training facility.


(If you haven't read the hitchhickers guide to the galaxy let me first say don't panic! Secondly, go read it.)

Re:We need to stop this "bit of fun" now

[Manaz]

Giant mice? What's next, giant women?

Yep - women are the logical next step from mice. No, really, they are.

The scientists who spend their time butchering innocent mice would be better off, both scientifically and ethically, spending their time doing something which is a) of benefit to people and not mice and b) less offensive to decent Christians.

Butchering - I think you'll find that genetic manipulation is a LITTLE more refined than "butchering". Have you stoppped to think of the possible benefits we might gain from this research? Perhaps making people resistant to AIDS? Or perhaps cancer (since bigotted religeous zealots like you would naturally assume that AIDS is a disease of people of low moral quality)? Or polio, SIDS, or in fact any of the multitude of diseases and illnesses which currently afflict the innocent?

And this sentance - "Scientists in Australia have done some fun things with genetics ..." - am I the only person who thinks that this flappant attitude is appalling?

That'd be "sentence" and "flippant" unless I'm mistaken, but we'll leave the semantics of correct spelling, grammar and punctuation out of this, shall we? Have you perchance thought that some people actually find scientific discovery interesting, and perchance fun? Just because you've got a stick up your ass doesn't meant the rest of us do.

Tinkering with the natural order of things which God has decreed is not a "bit of fun", it is both dangerous and amoral and needs to be stopped.

Granted, there are potentially "bad" uses for this technology (at least when it matures). But we've had nuclear weapons since the end of the 2nd world war, they're proven to be VERY destructive, and yet we've managed to (albeit only just at times) avoid blowing the living shit out of the planet with them. Give human kind SOME credit, please. You'd be surprised just how moral we can be as a race when necessary.

Did you know that the majority of our technological advancements (even the good ones, that save lives) have come about due to war? A point to ponder....

Unfortunately thanks to the liberal fundamentalists who hold power over much of the Western world, these people are given free license to blaspheme and tamper with something which could kill us all even worse than the plagues God sent to punish the Egyptians.

Ah, a fire and brimstone Christian - now I'm starting to understand. Have you perchance read this wonderful part of the Bible called the "New Testament"? Incidently, I suggest that you look up the meaning of the political buzzwords you're using - because Liberal Fundamentalists are generally the very people opposing the sort of research and development of scientific knowledge that you youreself are complaining about.

Genetic "engineering" is not a bit of fun, it is the greatest threat to humanity we have ever faced.

And you have scientific proof to back up this statement? Oh, silly me - of course you don't - science is the art of witches isn't it! You wouldn't want to make a well backed up point and end up being burned at the stake now, would you?

Today it may be fat mice, but who knows what horrors tomorrow may bring?

Bigger cattle, which feed more people? Better crop averages, so that we might feed the starving? The health benefits I mentioned before? Sure, there COULD be bad things that come of this technology, but other great scientific discoveries, like electricity, can also be used for the powers of darkness. Quick, shut down your PC - it uses the Devil's own power!

Giant mice ?

[S�gnal ll]

i would prefer giant worms, producing more spice.

the sleeper must awake.

Re:Whats this - nuthin to do with Linux or compute

[Skald]

Can we keep things IT related in the future.

Uh... no. This is not a Linux news site... not even a computer news site. And if you want your suggestions taken seriously, log in.

Voided warranty

[FascDot Killed My Pr]

Lets not get too excited about this. The researchers are doing an EXPERIMENT. Obviously the first part was "can we make mice big by removing this gene?" But the second part is just as important "what else breaks when we remove this gene?"

Given the function (growth inhibition) of the gene in question, I'm going to bet these mice are especially susceptible to cancer.
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Jeez what a thing to make giant mutant versions of

[Moderation abuser]

Next it'll be rats, spiders, snakes, ants and women. Then we'll all be living in a real live B movie. Actually, come to think of it, giant mutant women might be quite interesting.