Genetic Modification Produces Mighty Mouse

Identity Missing writes "An Ohio laboratory has produced genetically modified mice which 'can run five to six kilometres at a speed of 20 meters per minute on a treadmill, for up to six hours before stopping,' as well as a number of other remarkable feats. An enzyme called phosphoenolypyruvate carboxykinases (PEPCK-C) is apparently responsible, and we should hope that the scientists are correct in saying that athletes won't be modifying their genes any time soon to get it, because it apparently makes the mice more aggressive. If anyone feels a super villain coming on, at least we can rely on these Mighty Mice. A video demonstrates just how much these little guys beat the competition."

Comments

Well, you know the next step...

[NotQuiteReal]

Someone will just have to build a better mousetrap!

Re:Well, you know the next step...

[salec]

Or GM the cats same way, too!

I for one

[WormholeFiend]

hope that these rodents don't escape the lab.

Ordinary mice are hard enough to control as pests...

Re:I for one

[Daniel Dvorkin]

My suspicion is that they wouldn't do well in the wild. Aggression and strength in the natural world have to be balanced with food requirements, which is basically why not every living thing is super-strong, super-fast, and super-tough. Dire wolves are gone for a reason ... These mice "eat twice as much and weigh half as much," which sounds great to people living in the modern industrialized world, but is a pretty serious liability for a wild animal.

Also, they may be amazingly tough for mice, but you know, they're still mice. No matter how big and strong they may be, there are still plenty of critters bigger and stronger than they. If their aggression translates into a lack of caution around predators, then they'd essentially be nothing but a nice lean snack for health-conscious cats. ;)

Whatever you do...

[lonesome_coder]

...don't make them angry. You wouldn't like them when they are angry...

obligatory response

[ByOhTek]

In Soviet Russia, meme botches you!

Cool.

[Stanistani]

Overclocked mice! Do they have an overheat problem?

I have a mighty mouse....

[NPN_Transistor]

I have a mighty mouse, yet it can't "run five to six kilometres at a speed of 20 meters per minute on a treadmill", feel aggression, or do "a number of other remarkable feats". All it does is sit in my hand and make clicking noises when I try to pet it. It runs a lot longer than "six hours", but it doesn't seem to do anything else. It doesn't seem to have any eyes or a tail either. I think it might be defective... maybe I should return it to Apple.

Mighty?

[robably]

So the modified mouse runs on the treadmill for six hours, while the normal mouse has a nice sit down and watches it. Maybe this modification just makes mice stupid.

Smarter mouse?

[oo7tushar]

All I see is the that the "slower" mouse realizes that they're going nowhere on the treadmill.

RTFA much?

[cduffy]

Ten times as many mitochondria in the muscles.

Re:RTFA much?

[nomadic]

I think you mean midichloridians.

Re:If they experimented on humans this much...

[Scrameustache]

Why is it unethical? If you could save thousands of lives by curing a disease, but curing the disease required potentially deadly experiments on a few people, wouldn't it be unethical NOT to proceed with the research? You first.