By UTMB’s Norbert Herzog and David Niesel: Neuroscientists at MIT have been introducing human genes into mice to evaluate the impact of each human gene on the brain in another species. The human version of a gene called Fox2p is connected with language and speech development, a trait associated with the higher order brain function unique to humans. When this gene was introduced into mice, they developed more complex neurons and more extensive circuits in their brains. Scientists wondered if this gene is responsible for the enhanced brain and cognitive abilities displayed in humans. In behavioral experiments, scientists placed mice in a maze and evaluated the reactions of mice harboring the Fox2p gene versus normal mice. The hybrid mice learned to navigate the maze quickly, finishing it three times faster than normal mice. The news also appears in The Galveston Daily News.