Scientists reveal plan to grow genetically engineered Neanderthal mini-BRAINS in the lab

Scientists have revealed a radical plan to grow miniature Neanderthal'brains' in the lab. A team of researchers who have previously inserted Neanderthal genes into mice and frogs' eggs are now using the technique to understand how humans became'cognitively special' compared to our ancient relatives, according to the Guardian. The lab-grown mini brains will only be about the size of a lentil, and cannot achieve thoughts or feelings – but, by mimicking the basic structure of the developed brain, they could reveal key differences in how the nerve cells function. A team of researchers who have previously inserted Neanderthal genes into mice and frogs' eggs are now using the technique to understand how humans became'cognitively special' compared to our ancient relatives, according to the Guardian. The work is led by Professor Svante Pääbo, director of the genetics department at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who previously unraveled the Neanderthal genome, the Guardian reports.