British scientists have proposed introducing mutant lab rats into the wild rodent populations tormenting Londoners as a means of pest control, The Telegraph reports. Despite similar schemes leading to Attack of the Giant, Mutant Rats in 99 percent of fictional cases, the real world science involves genetically "editing" rodents so that they simply cannot have female offspring:
The technique suggested for rodents is known as "x-shredding." Male mammals have both an "x" and "y" sex chromosome, while females need two "x" chromosomes.The scientists want to insert "x shredder" code into the DNA of male rats which would destroy the "x" chromosomes in their sperm, meaning they could only pass on a "y" chromosome, so their offspring would never be female. With fewer and fewer females over time, the population would have to decline. [The Telegraph]
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