ABSTRACT
The use of mice in auditory research has been accelerated by the advent of techniques that allow controlled changes in the genetics of this species. Increasing information about the genome of the mouse paired with the insertion of artificial genes, or transgenes, into genomic DNA has permitted experiments that could only be dreamed of in the past. These methods allow the study of genes in the context of the entire organism, connecting the reductionist world of molecular biology with systems biology. Unlike the experiments of nature presented by natural mutations, changes in the genome can be designed to address specific questions. Because the use of these powerful techniques has not been easy in other species, transgenic mice have become a staple of modern biology.
