Mice are a popular animal model in scientific research, but they don’t always mimic the human condition. Knocking out a gene in mice can give scientists more accurate results. Read this article to find out about knockout mice and how they revolutionize scientific research!
Introduction to knockout mice
Knockout mice are a new type of mouse genetically engineered with the deletion of a specific gene. They are used to study the function of that specific gene. With this new type of mouse, scientists can study how genes affect diseases without waiting for genetic mutations to happen in humans. The research is also more cost-effective and accurate because it doesn’t require years of testing and thousands of control mice.
Why is this a good idea?
Knockout mice are genetically modified to be inbred, so they share a very similar genetic makeup. This is useful for scientists because it eliminates the need to control for genetic variations that arise when breeding mice. It can also help scientists create more accurate models for human subjects. Knockout mice are ideal subjects for many types of studies because their cells and tissues are easily accessible.
How do you actually generate Knockout Mice?
Knockout mice are used in laboratory research because they are genetically modified to have a specific gene removed. The classic knock-out (KO) mouse is created by the disruption of a gene with an insertion of a neomycin cassette via homologous recombination. This cassette contains antibiotic resistance genes, which can be used for selective breeding.
Conclusion
The conclusion of the blog is that knockout mice will revolutionize scientific research because they will be able to generate a library of mouse models. This will allow scientists to test drugs on mice with very different genetic backgrounds, which can only lead to better drugs.
