In an experiment led by GSU using gene editing, the team removed the vasopressin receptor, a hormone that controls aggression in hamsters, which unexpectedly turned them into hyper-aggressive bullies.
According to a statement released by Georgia State University (GSU), a team of neuroscience researchers was "really surprised" when a gene-editing experiment resulted in hyper-aggressive hamsters.
The goal of the GSU research, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), was to learn more about the biology driving mammalian social behavior.
Syrian hamsters and CRISPR-Cas9, a groundbreaking technology that allows scientists to turn on or off genes in cells, were utilised by the researchers. The technology disabled a vasopressin receptor, a hormone which is linked to increased aggression.
The scientists predicted that this would "dramatically" change the Syrian hamsters' social behavior, making them more tranquil. Their behavi...