Scientists at Northwestern University found themselves in a horror movie-worthy scenario when a gene-editing experiment involving hamsters accidentally turned the docile rodent into violent creatures.
What Happened: The New York Post reported the scientists used the CRISPR gene-editing technology to remove the vasopressin hormone and its receptor Avpr1a from a group of Syrian hamsters to determine if this would boost the level of cooperation between them — the species was chosen because they exist in a social structure that is similar to human behavior.
