As unlikely an idea as it sounds, mechanized insects seem to be the next wave of military technology. According to the current research conducted by DARPA, the Hybrid Insect MEMS project aims to transform "insects into unmanned air-vehicles" for various purposes. In other words, they're developing something that you could call pseudo-cyborg insects. Find out the rest of the details of this interesting study by reading our full article.

It may not be long until researchers find a way to track memory-sustaining proteins and techniques to manipulate those. Just recently, a study by Mark Mayford and Naoki Matsuo from the Scripps Research Institute shows that it's possible to pinpoint memory proteins in mice. Squirm your way to the full article for more details!

It is common knowledge that mice normally cower at even the scent of cats. This concept might be changing soon since some scientists from the Tokyo University have discovered a way to genetically engineer mice which show no fear towards felines.

These experiments may not seem like much at the current stage, but actually have quite a big impact on what we understand about the emotion called fear. Click on the "read more "link below for more details.

Although it's not supposed to give anyone ideas for human testing, a report by Reuters had announced that scientists had found a way to switch off certain genes related to Alzheimer's disease. They found out that by turning off a certain gene, called Cdk5, they were also able to make experimental mice smarter.

These researchers were in the process of finding a cure for memory problems, when they stumbled upon genetic engineering techniques that would allow them to switch certain genes on and off.

Cdk5, a gene that determines the production of an enzyme that is reputably linked to Alzheimer's, was one of those that they could turn off.

And what's more, the mice that did have Cdk5 turned off became better at tasks based on associated learning. Dr. James Bibb of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said, "It's the most important kind of learning in the animal kingdom. It's how we know where our car is and that is our wife or our husband and that's our kids. It's how we connect things."

When placed inside a maze together with ordinary mice, the altered mice performed much better in contrast. "The increase in sensitivity to their surroundings seems to have made them smarter. It was very clear right off the bat that the loss of Cdk5 made them have a much stronger associative memory," said Bibb.

Have you ever heard of a cow that is biologically incapable of getting mad cow disease? Not yet? Well, you're in luck today, 'cause that's exactly the news we're bringing you.

Yup, that's right. Scientists have proudly proclaimed that they have successfully produced the first cattle that won't have the disease, via genetic engineering. Eliminating from these engineered milk-factories is the protein prion, which is supposedly responsible for the fatal human ailment, and the variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease.

But hold up. There's so much more they intend to do with this kind of technology. Maybe later on, they'll use similar techniques to engineer animals with more nutritious meats. But this will have to pass through a more stringent test from the Food and Drug Administration. Yeah, well, the yellow brick road was never always smooth.

However, until then, the spotlight remains with these altered cows. Immune for life. Now that's refreshing. Coming soon: birds incapable of transmitting bird flu?

Have you guys seen the movie Gattaca? Well a growing number of couples have been using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or PGD to detect a genetic predisposition of an embryo to health risks like cancer and genetic defects.

Parents who want to benefit from PGD must first undergo the same in vitro fertilization process that infertile couples turn to. Eggs from mommy are fertilized by sperm form daddy in a petri dish. When the resulting embryos are three days old, doctors analyze the DNA. Only embryos without the defective genes they are looking for are considered as candidates for implantation into mommy's uterus. Basically, parents are starting to test all their "kids" on a petri dish before they decide if they want to continue having them.

The process is both expensive and difficult. The out-of-pocket costs alone often exceed $25,000. Also, due to the fact that embryos are selected for their genetic status instead of which embryos are healthiest, the chances for the embryo to successfully develop is less. There is still the concern that the removal of a cell from a three day old embryo can cause long term problems.

Despite the costs and the dangers, more and more future-minded couples are signing up for the process. Some couples have said that the mere probability that their children can have a future that is free from cancer far outweigh the costs. It's not just cancer; inherited defects such as predispositions towards tumors, arthritis, and obesity can be curbed.

Critics fear that PGD could eventually become a genetic class divide between the rich and the poor. "From a technology perspective we can test anything," said Mark Hughes, director of the Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit. "The issue becomes what is considered serious enough to warrant such testing and who decides that." Scientists are currently considering if this is a 'wonderful thing' or if it is genetic engineering.

Well, what do you guys think? One step towards Gattaca, or a blessing for all those families plagued by inherited health problems?