(Credit: Awe Inspiring Images/Shutterstock) A little magnetism unleashed a wave of positive vibes for mice in the lab. Scientists at the University of Virginia developed a technique that uses magnets to control the brains of living mice. Researchers created a hybrid gene — they called it Magneto — that produces proteins in brain cells that are responsive to magnets. Whenever Magneto-engineered rodents wandered into a magnetic field, the invisible force activated the pleasure centers in their brains. Researchers believe magnetic mind control represents a noninvasive way to manipulate neural pathways and study brain function. It’s also, they say, a first step toward developing “magneto-genetic” therapies to someday treat brain disorders.
To engineer Magneto, researchers used a viral vector to implant a gene that produces ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body, into the TRPV4 gene, which encodes a calcium protein that helps relay messages in the brain. The ...
