Syrian hamsters were chosen for the experiment because they have a human-like social organization (Credits: Getty)
A team of U.S. scientists has accidentally created overly aggressive mutant hamsters after a gene editing experiment.
Using the controversial CRISPR technology, researchers at Northwestern University were examining a hormone called vasopressin and its receptor, Avpr1a.
They chose to try to get the latter out of a group of Syrian hamsters, in the hope that it would increase the bonding and cooperation between the adorable creatures.
This is because Avpr1a is understood to regulate things like teamwork and friendship, as well as dominance and bonding.
His expectations were wrong. Very bad.
“We were very surprised by the results,” said Professor H Elliot Albers, the study’s lead researcher.
“We anticipate that eliminating vasopressin activity will reduce both aggression and social communication.
“But the opposite happened.”
Scholars found that adorable fluff bundles turned into mutant rage monsters that showed “high levels of aggression toward other same-sex individuals.”
All hamsters, regardless of genotype or sex, showed aggression (including chasing, biting, and staring) when exposed to a non-aggressive conespecific of the same sex in neutral terrain.
Professor Albert admitted that the results of the experiment were a “surprising conclusion”.
Hamsters, regardless of genotype or sex, showed aggression after undergoing the gene editing experiment (Credit: PNAS)
Scientists chose to experiment with Syrian hamsters because, unlike mice, they have a human-like social organization.
Professor Albert explained: “Although we know that vasopressin increases social behavior by acting within a number of brain regions, the more global effects of the Avpr1a receptor may be inhibitory.
“We don’t understand this system as well as we thought.”
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