Zombie Research Society
Scientists have recently identified specific areas of the brain containing a gene often associated with a number of neurological disorders including Lou Gehrig’s disease and dementia. The mutation of gene C9orf72 (chromosome 9 open reading frame 72) can produce an inordinate amount of protein linked to symptoms often associated with zombies and the walking dead; muscle weakness, twitching, atrophy and a considerable decrease in the ability to think, reason or remember.
Researchers from the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at the University of Bath have finally discovered that this gene is concentrated in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb of animals. But Dr. Vasanta Subramanian, who led the study, sees great promise for humanity itself… perhaps even more than she knows.
By uncovering novel sites of expression in the brain our findings provide an important resource for researchers studying animal models of C9orf72 mediated ALS [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis] and FTD [frontotemporal dementia].
Our hope is that by researching accurate animal models of these diseases scientists can eventually develop new treatments and eventually cures for these devastating degenerative diseases.
Unlocking the mysteries, mutation and diseases of the human brain can only lead us closer to understanding the biological nature of an inevitable zombie apocalypse. From the loss of memory to cannibalism; the symptoms almost always lead back to prions, proteins and the undead brain.
For more information, please read the original article online at The Journal of Anatomy published by the Wiley Online Library. And for a more in-depth look at zombie behavior through a neurological and neuroscientific lens, be sure to check out the scholarly novel Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?: A Neuroscientific View of the Zombie Brain by Zombie Research Society board member Bradley Votek.