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Chinese Scientists Defend Implanting Human Gene in Baby Monkey Brain

The experiment “sparked improved cognitive function” in the apes.

A Chinese researcher has defended implanting human genes into monkey brains, according to CNN. The experiment, which the scientist claimed resulted in “improved cognitive function” in the apes, has angered some in the scientific community who have questioned the ethics of the test. The experiment took place at the Kunming Institute of Zoology in southwestern China and was meant to explore the “evolutionary process which led to human intelligence.” Su Bing, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Kunming Institute of Zoology, was the lead researcher on the project which included implanting 11 rhesus monkeys with human genes. “In the long run, such basic research will also provide valuable information for the analysis of the etiology and treatment of human brain diseases (such as autism) caused by abnormal brain development,” claimed the controversial scientist.