A new breed of mouse–for transhumanists, the ubermaus–is capable of running five to six kilometers at a speed of 20 meters per minute on a treadmill for as long as six hours before having to call it quits. This mouse can also eat 60 percent more than a normal mouse and yet remains in better shape, lives longer, and breeds well into old age.

The genetically modified mice were bred as part of research to study the metabolic role of the PEPCK-C enzyme in skeletal muscle. The key to the changes in these mice involves the overexpression of the gene for PEPCK-C.

But transhumanists take heed. In a press release, Richard W. Hanson, a professor of biochemistry at Case Western and an author on the paper announcing the findings, warns against using the research to enhance humans:

“The technique used to create the animal model reported in our study is not appropriate for application to humans. The ethical implications are such that this approach should not be used in humans, nor is it technically possible at this time to efficiently introduce genes into human skeletal muscle, in order to mimic the effect seen in our mice.”