Meet the daddy with short legs.Daddy Short LegsCNET reports that scientists have genetically engineered the daddy long legs critters to create a short version. This is to study how the genomes of arachnids change over time and explain why their legs grow so long.It has been portrayed in the media as adorable and may help to improve our understanding of genetics. Images of gene-hacked monsters are disturbing. The control group with no genetic modifications is adorable.Gene InterferenceGuilherme Gainett, University of Wisconsin-Madison's lead researcher, sequenced the first genome of the bug. This was one of over 6,000 species of daddy long legs, harvestmen. These are technically very close relatives of spiders.They then used an RNA interference technique to stop a pair genes that are associated with leg development in hundreds upon hundreds of embryos.AdvertisementAdvertisementSix of the eight harvestmen's legs, which consisted of eight, were significantly shorter than the others. This was revealed in a paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. They also lost their tarsomeres which allow them to grab around sticks with ease.Gainett explained to CNET that the genome of daddy long leg has great potential to help clarify the complicated history of arachnid body plan and genome evolution, as well as reveal how daddy's long legs get their unique shape.He said that we are looking forward to understanding how genes can give rise to new features in arachnids such as scorpion pinchers and spider fangs. Also, we want to leverage the genome to create the first transgenic harvestmen.We hope that the scientists don't end up with long, stubby legs next time they genetically engineer these creatures for the arachnophobic.AdvertisementAdvertisementREAD MORE: Scientists alter daddy's genes to make daddy shorter legs [CNET]More about genetic engineering: Residents furious at the release of 500 million gene-hacked mosquitoes
