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Editorial: Guest Editorial: A Native`s Case for Florida Hometown Democracy
October 3rd, 2009

Editorial: Budget of Sugarcreek Goes Modern
October 1st, 2009

Editorial: Is Nothing Sacred?
September 17th, 2009

Editorial: Great Expectations
September 2nd, 2009

Editorial: Helping the Levy County Budget
August 6th, 2009

Editorial: WUFT-FM to Delete Music for Cedar Key
July 28th, 2009

Editorial: Governor Crist Balks on Appointment
July 9th, 2009

Editorial: Affordable Housing in Cedar Key
July 6th, 2009

Editorial: The Greening of Cedar Key
June 25th, 2009

Editorial: Unanimous Consent to Suspend the Rules
June 12th, 2009

Editorial: Cutting the Cost of Garbage Collection
May 27th, 2009

Editorial: America Must Support Chinese Democracy Seekers
March 23rd, 2009

Editorial: Membership Appeal
February 20th, 2009

Editorial: Cutting Health Care Costs
January 10th, 2009

Editorial: 2008 and Some Fearless Predictions
December 30th, 2008

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Of Voles and Men

Of Voles and Men

Editorial

The journal Nature, and subsequently the Gainesville Sun, have reported that genetic engineer Larry Young at Emory University has succeeded in transforming males of the eastern vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) from being promiscuous to being monogamous.


The prairie vole (Microtus orchogaster) is a rare mammal species in that the males are monogamous. The gene responsible for vole monogamy was isolated, multiplied, attached to a virus and injected into the brains of young eastern voles.


As a result, eleven of eleven genetically altered young voles that received the genes from the prairie voles were tested and found to be monogamous. Eastern voles that did not receive the genes (the control group) acted promiscuously.


Since a rare subspecies of the eastern vole was found near Cedar Key, as reported in the last issue of Cedar Key News, one might wonder about the habits of our local voles. More likely, one might wonder what this has to with anyone except the voles.


Consider, however, that many mammal species share identical genes for fundamental components such as hormones and enzymes. Humans and chimpanzees share about ninety-eight percent of the same genes. (What a difference two percent can make.)


Heart disease victims accept transplants of pig heart valves to save their lives. There may come a day when we can avoid Alzheimer's Disease or diabetes with the injection of genes into our brain or pancreas. This editorial is not about voles. It is about what science can do to fight and cure diseases.

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