Dr Dolittle the Geneticist - Learning from Animal DNA

Since the discovery of DNA scientists have been working to understand and improve upon the human program. Some view this as unspeakable arrogance, some as a way to cure disease, others think it's a great plot for creating movie monsters. Whichever route you take there's a lot to be learned by copying the genetic programs in other animals - after all, we've only been hacking at the helix for about fifty years. Nature built the thing a few billion years ago, so she's probably come up with a couple of features we haven't.

1. Healing hints from frogs

In research taken straight from the page of a Marvel comic, researchers at Manchester University are working not just to understand how some amphibians can regrow lost limbs - but to copy it in humans. While that long term goal won't be seen for a long time (if ever), they are already meeting with success in trials of "Transforming Growth Factor Beta 3". This is a protein common to frogs and humans that can help with healing and the reduction of scars following injury. It also could not sound more like a made up science fiction name if it tried.

Comic aficionados may remember that Curtis Connors tried a similar scheme, developing a serum from salamanders to help him recover his missing arm. Since he goes by the name of "The Lizard" now and Spiderman has beaten hell out of him at least ten times we can see that his research was not without side-effects - but as long as the Manchester University doesn't run out of funding, and the researchers can avoid life-threatening injuries for which the serum "is crazy, but it might just work!", we should be fine.

2. Cancer cure from cats

Any species that can evolve into getting another species to look after them is one we can learn from. Analysis of cat DNA has provided clues for battling cancer and certain forms of blindness to boot. Our feline friends might share our homes and our couches, but they also share some of our problems - including tumours and FIV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, an analog of HIV whose cure is a holy grail for many medical researchers.

Cinnamon, a pedigreed Abyssinian and probably the cuddliest looking piece of scientific apparatus you'll find - joins the ranks of the half-dozen or so animals who have been completely gene-mapped. The wealth of data provided is relevant in human research because of the similarity of human and feline genomes, both of which remain fairly faithful to the original mammal template while other species have reshuffled the instructions along the way.

3. Mans best eugenics test subject

If you want to discuss genetic improvements to species, you'd better do it on your own inside a locked box with the air removed unless you want a horde of outraged people screaming "Nazis!". This Godwintastic argument hovers around the extremely blurred line between breeding and genetics, a line further fuzzified by recent genetic research into racing greyhounds. A rash of overmuscled puppies among litters from purebred racers led the owners to ask for scientific assistance, revealing genetic mutations that cause enhanced muscle development - and improved speed.

This revelation has split the racing community in an interesting way - especially for anyone who wants to see what humans will be arguing about for real within ten years. Some want those with the improved gene isolated and kept separate, some want them destroyed altogether, and only a few have suddenly shouted "Holy god it's like the X-Men but with dogs." More poetic souls complain that genetic analysis removes the mystery and adventure from dog breeding - and even human athletes - and they prefer a world where people can have mysterious and impressive abilities without a scientific explanation ruining it. (Midochlorians).

Posted by Luke McKinney