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Nature 428, 464-466 (1 April 2004) | doi:10.1038/428464a

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Laboratory animals:  The Renaissance rat

Alison Abbott1

  1. Alison Abbott is Nature's senior European correspondent.

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Thanks to the availability of its genome sequence, and the promise of new genetically engineered strains, the rat is restoring its reputation as researchers' favourite lab animal. Alison Abbott hails a remarkable rodent.

Rats tend to provoke strong reactions. Many people, repulsed by the rodents' tendency to feast on refuse and to spread disease, hate them.

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