Scientists use lab rats for experiments for the different research they do. These said rats are called knock out rats, they are believed to carry
specific genes to trigger diseases. this used to be a long and timely process,but with the findings of Professor Wurst and Dr. Ralf Kühn and their team thisprocess is much shorter. They just modified the genes directly in the mouseeggs. The process now takes a little over four months. with this there will bemuch fewer test animals in the labs and they can save time. They used TALEN enzymes to implant mutations associated with human dementia and in mouse germ cells. Scientist think that having mmice in the labratory will help us cure hereditary diseases. There should be a better way of finding cures. Rather than killing an animal for human needs. Using mice in a labratory is very cruel. Mice feel pain just like humans and they do not deserve to be treated so harshly. The mice are grouped together in small cages that do not get cleaned often. Once scientists are ready to perform experiments they animals are tortured. Animals should not be suffering and than killed to help humans with cosmetics or disease preventions. There is an article attached about mice playing a critical role in medical research.
Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130402124811.htm
Other article: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11700807/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/mice-play-critical-role-medical-research/
I'm definitely intrigued by this new finding; to some extent I do find animal testing to be very cruel (chimpanzees mostly). But could altering genes alter the effect the results of the testing? Although this may be farfetched I think we need a whole new alternative to animal testing.
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