Scientists confirm they have created genetically engineered super-dogs that are stronger and faster than the average mutt.
Chinese scientists have confirmed that they have genetically engineered a new form of man's best friend.
The new-improved beagles, named Hercules and Tiangou, have "more muscles and are expected to have stronger running ability, which is good for hunting, police (military) applications," Liangxue Lai , a biology researcher, at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, told MIT Technology Review.
They engineered the super-pups by editing out a key gene, myostatin, doubling the dogs' muscle mass, the scientists said.
The Chinese scientists say they want to create other canine DNA mutations in order to study and possibly treat human diseases.
"The goal of the research is to explore an approach to the generation of new disease dog models for biomedical research," Lai divulged.
"Dogs are very close to humans in terms of metabolic, physiological, and anatomical characteristics."
Lai said they have no plan to breed the super-dogs as pets.