Neue Forschungsergebnisse nutzen ein „falkenisiertes“ Mausmodell, um wichtige Erkenntnisse zu enthüllen. Wissenschaftler haben eine kritische genetische Variante bei Sakerfalken in großen Höhen identifiziert. Diese Variante ermöglicht es angepassten Tieren, das Energiegleichgewicht unter Bedingungen mit niedrigem Sauerstoffgehalt aufrechtzuerhalten.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

[Nature Communications](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64110-w)

#From the linked article:
New Study Reveals Falcon Gene Lets Animals Survive Thin Air

Scientists discovered that a specific gene variant (EPAS1) from saker falcons is key to their survival in high-altitude, low-oxygen environments. This „falcon gene“ allows them to maintain a crucial energy balance between glucose and lipid metabolism, which is normally disrupted by a lack of oxygen.

To prove researchers created „falconized“ mice with this gene. When exposed to simulated thin air, these mice maintained stable energy use, recovered body weight faster, and had a significantly higher survival rate than normal mice. This finding not only explains the falcons‘ remarkable adaptation but could also offer new insights into treating human metabolic diseases.