Scientists Locate Genius Genes

There is a specific set of genes responsible for brain development when you're in the womb and that affect your ability to learn later on. A group of researchers has identified those genes. Their discovery could represent the first step genetically manipulating brain development.

The study is extraordinary not just because of its futuristic implications. The technique is called RNA interference, or RNAi:

Dr. Katharine Sepp and her fellow researchers took fresh neuronal cells extracted from embryos of the fruit fly genus Drosophila and screened them using RNA interference techniques. The team tested all genes, one by one in a rapid manner, for their potential role in neuronal development. The team then validated the method in mice.

The researchers believe that this study provides an effective method for future studies of a large variety of genes, including those with important functions in the nervous system.

This research will open up new ways to tinker with brain development, but right now the genes have only been identified in lower organisms such as flies and mice.