Whereas the Green Goblin is set on destroying mankind, this cuddly baby rhesus monkey may be the key to curing a number of human diseases.

 



His name is ANDi, for “inserted DNA” spelled backwards, and he carries in him an extra bit of DNA from a jellyfish – the gene for green fluorescence. Scientists used this specific gene because it is harmless and easy detectable.

They want to move on to inserting other types of harmless genetic markers that can be tracked with magnetic resonances in order to understand  how diseases like Alzheimer’s and breast cancer develop in people.

Because monkeys are genetically closer to humans, they give scientists a better understanding of the development of disease.