Gene Linked to Infertility in Mice; Findings May Apply to Humans
A cell biologist at Duke University Medical Center has published a new study in mice that offers another possible genetic explanation for infertility in men: a gene called miwi. The research has not yet been conducted using human tissue, but Haifan Lin, Ph.D., an associate professor of cell biology at Duke and senior author of the study, suspects that the human counterpart of miwi, called hiwi, is probably also associated with infertility in men. The study could eventually lead to genetic testing for the human form of the miwi gene, Lin said.  More ...

Manufacturing Mice
Masked, capped, gowned, and gloved, Lin Allsbury plucks and places with practiced dexterity the wriggling pink baby mice from one clear plastic bin to another. Grasping each mouse gently with sterilized forceps, she zips them unerringly from old home to new, religiously following the intricate weekly cage-changing ritual. The technician allows no bare human hand ever to touch these tiny priceless creatures.  More ...