Shocked by research turning mice into 'cold-blooded killers'

According to The Washington Post, a group of scientists used brain control methods to turn about 10 normal mice into "cold-blooded killers."

A mouse bites into a piece of prey as a beam of light shines into its brain. (Source: The Washington Post)

The team of scientists, including Ivan de Araujo (professor of psychiatry and physiology at Yale University, USA), Wenfei Han (Yale University) and Milton Canteras (neuroscientist at the University of São Paulo, Brazil), used a technique called optogenetics, using laser light to control the mouse's neurons, causing it to go crazy and bite the prey.

When the light is off, the mice are very docile. They even avoid their prey. But when the light is on, the mice suddenly become angry and go berserk, unable to control themselves. They rush to bite their prey or even their toys.

The scientists said they were not trying to create a "monster" through the method, but were just trying to understand how the brain works.

"Predatory behavior is often closely related to brain activity, and the study helps to show the differences in the brain when rats track, chase, pounce, bite and kill prey," Professor Araujo shared about his 3-year research project.

"We attached a sensor to the mice's heads and the blue light would activate neurons that were set up to respond to this light, thereby stimulating their instinct to kill their prey. The mice's bite force also became stronger when we shined the light into their brains," Mr. Araujo added.

When asked whether the technique could be applied to humans to create cold-blooded killers, since the brains of mice are structured quite similarly to humans, Araujo said: "We don't see mice attacking their own kind. It only shows aggressive behavior towards other animals."

According to Vietnam+