The 10 laboratory mice in Han Meng's group performed well in the T-maze, and Han Meng will do further research on his friends.

The five experimenters sorted out the raw data of their laboratory mice and gave them to Shen Qi.

Shen Qi conducted an in-depth analysis of the original data through a combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.

After the SHANK3 gene was modified, all the rats in the Duyuan group died of intracranial hemorrhage in a short period of time.

Why does Du Yuan's editing protocol cause intracranial hemorrhage in rats?

Shen Qi didn't understand this either, and he needed to continue to study.

Cui Hualin and Tang Yaxing's editing plan made their lab rats unusually violent or autistic.

Regarding this, Shen Qi analyzed the general reason.

According to the editing scheme of Cui Hualin and Tang Yaxing, the modification of the SHANK3 gene caused a new mutation in the rat gene in a very short time, resulting in irreversible damage to the rat nervous system.

The above three sets of experiments failed.

From the failure, Shen Qi summed up two words: password.

What is a password? Where is it? How can it be controlled?

Peeled back layer by layer, from large to small, the nucleus contains chromosomes, which are made up of DNA and histone proteins.

DNA was thought to be a protein molecule in the early days, but it was later confirmed that DNA is actually a DNA molecule.

A gene is a DNA sequence that contains genetic information, and its encoding is genetic information, which expresses the information it carries by transcribing and translating proteins.

The growth of an organism is caused by continuous cell division, during which the chromosomes are duplicated.

At the same time, if the password is passed on, it is possible to generate a new password.

Shen Qi believes that the codebook is hidden in the filament structure of chromosomes, and the code can be written and read, so the key question is, how do cells choose histones and which way to write and read the code?

In order to grasp the precise principle of operation of the biological code, Shen Qi first studied genes, followed by DNA and proteins, and then chromosomes and cells.

The difficulty in studying genes lies in gene mutations, and Shen Qi feels that pure biological methods cannot solve this problem.

τ=Te^W/kT

Shen Qi wrote down this formula.

This is an unproven formula that academics call the "mutation likelihood formula".

Planck's discovery of quantum theory in 1900, De Vries' rediscovery of Mendel's paper in 1900, and De Vries's paper on mutations published between 1901 and 1903, show that quantum theory and modern genetics arose almost simultaneously.

Is there a connection between quantum theory and genetics?

Shen Qi believes that the connection between these two disciplines will only occur when they have developed to a higher level.

Today, quantum theory and genetics have advanced to a high level.

Thus gave rise to a new school of thought --- quantum biology.

Quantum biologists try to explain mutations through quantum theory.

τ in the formula for the probability of mutation is the expected time of the mutation of the threshold energy W.

The quantum biology school has not yet proved the universality of τ=Te^W/kT, so this formula is tentatively called the "mutation probability formula" rather than the "mutation formula".

"The threshold is the order of magnitude needed to explain the persistence of heritability in biology......"

Shen Qi pondered with his eyebrows, and he continued to analyze the experimental data of rats in Han Meng's group and Wu Junqiang's group.

It didn't take long for Wu Junqiang to say with a sad face: "Director Shen, there is bad news, my lab rats' IQ has dropped, and they can only get out of the maze of the right direction, but in other aspects, they have become as stupid as stupid rats." ”

Shen Qi didn't think so: "No, it's not bad news, it's good news." ”

Wu Junqiang was a little puzzled: "Good news that gene editing has led to a reduction in the IQ of laboratory mice?"

Shen Qi expressed his opinion: "Through genetic means to regulate IQ, the so-called regulation should be adjustable high or low, this is a complete set of operating procedures." Of course, we are more inclined to raise our IQ, but there is no denying the academic value of lowering it. In some specific cases, lowering the IQ of the experimental target may be of greater practical use. ”

Wu Junqiang's body shook: "Reducing intelligence and blowing?"

Shen Qi smiled slightly: "Xiaoqiang, how well do you know τ=Te^W/kT?"

"This is the mutation possibility formula proposed by the quantum biology school, I do know something about it, my tutor abroad is obsessed with quantum biology, I understand this formula like this......"

After some exchanges, Wu Junqiang suddenly became enlightened, and he began to draft his thesis.

The title of the paper is "A Rat Study of Multiple SHANK3 Gene Editing Methods".

The abstract is to the effect that "the research shows that the IQ of rodents is affected by the SHANK3 gene to a certain extent, and our research group selected Wistar rats as the experimental subjects to edit the SHANK3 gene in experimental rats by mismatch editing, nucleotide excision editing, base excision editing, homologous recombination editing, non-homologous end joining editing, etc., and made preliminary research progress. ”

Four other experimenters joined the paper.

Han Meng wrote in the part of the paper he was responsible for that through the mismatch editing method, the IQ of experimental rats was significantly improved. The main experimental data were listed and the causes were analyzed.

Wu Junqiang wrote in the part of the paper he was responsible for that the IQ of experimental rats was reduced through base excision editing. The main experimental data were listed and the causes were analyzed.

Cui Hualin, Tang Yaxing, and Du Yuan also gave their experimental data and experimental results.

The real causes of intracranial hemorrhage, rage, and autism in laboratory rats are incomprehensible to Cui Hualin, Tang Yaxing, and Du Yuan. The analysis of the reasons for this part of the failure lesson was written by Shen Qi.

With everyone's diligent efforts, the "Rat Study of Multiple SHANK3 Gene Editing Methods" was quickly completed.

It seems a bit rushed, but Shen Qi thinks it can be published first.

There are many types of animal experiments, such as oral or injectable drug experiments on animals, and the experimental cycle is the efficacy cycle and the metabolic cycle of the animal.

In the case of gene editing experiments on animals, the experimental cycle should be the normal life cycle of the animal, and even the life cycle of one or several generations of experimental animal offspring should be considered.

Under normal circumstances, Wistar rats can live for several years.

The paper resulting from the gene-editing experiment on Wistar rats should not be completed until the Wistar rats die a few years later.

The authors of the paper even had to observe various indicators of the offspring of Wistar rats in order to finish the paper and give hereditary conclusions.

It would take at least five or six years to do this.

Shen Qi couldn't wait that long, and neither did his five doctoral students.

Therefore, they wrote in the abstract and summary of the paper: "The preliminary results of this experiment have been obtained, and the next stage will continue to observe various indicators of experimental rats to study the operation principle of the SHANK3 gene in more depth." ”

It has to be written as such, because the conclusions of the next stage of the study may overturn the preliminary conclusions of this paper.

In the preliminary conclusion, Shen Qi's team gave their core views:

1. The SHANK3 gene does affect the IQ of rats to a certain extent;

2. Editing the SHANK3 gene by technical means can regulate the IQ of rats;

3. There is a risk in regulating IQ, and there is a high probability of triggering new mutations, but the mechanism that triggers new mutations is not fully understood. Other research teams should not imitate until the team has given their final conclusions.