Transgenic Mice Are Radically Transforming Science

New genetic techniques like fluorescent reporter genes, optogenetics and DREADD allow scientist to manipulate the functions of individual cells in live animals.

Figure 1. Sensory neurons and axons in the dorsal root ganglion of a mouse expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Confocal microscope image taken by the author.

Many of my scientists colleagues are thrilled about the new transgenic techniques. Transgenic methods are sophisticated molecular biology techniques that consist of moving genes from one species to another, or in creating artificial genes and expressing them in a living organism. They represent the convergence of decades of work in areas as diverse as molecular biology, protein chemistry, cellular biology, neuroscience, microbiology, virology and animal behavior.

Transgenic techniques are likely to be applied to humans in the near future and this will dramatically change medicine, hopefully bringing cures for diseases that we cannot treat today. And yet, the general public appears to be completely unaware of them. Maybe because they are done in animals, and animal research is a modern taboo. Genetic modification is also politically incorrect, so these scientists tend to be shy about explaining what they are doing, even though is one of the most remarkable advances of modern science.