In my reporting for Discover, I regularly see studies that rely on laboratory rats to answer a variety of questions. One study, for example, considered whether garlic had protective properties against toxins. Another studied rats' hunger and impulse control. And in a study that no one in my family wanted to hear about at dinner time, researchers measured brain activity in decapitated rats.
For me, these stories prompted a new question — why do rats show up so much in research? Why are they running through mazes, pushing levers to receive treats or being placed into rat-sized guillotines?
The history of the lab rat dates back centuries, and the sequencing of the rat genome in the early 2000s means rat research is providing more insight than ever.
Long before researchers were getting young male rats drunk to measure the impact of substance abuse on developing brains, scientists were experimenting with ...
