Perhaps resistance to the AIDS virus would also appeal to gene-shopping parents.
Scientists can imagine a way to do that.
Those who are born with two defective copies of a gene called CCR5 can escape HIV infection despite thousands or risky sexual encounters. Of course, there is no reason to stop with disease protection, the visionaries say. One obvious enhancement is extra brain power. They learn faster, remember longer and adapt to changes better than any ordinary mouse. This stuff boosts the cellular switches that help the brain store associations.