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Fitness & Health

27th Mar 2015

Scientists give rats erections with the flip of a switch

A little blue light instead of a little blue pill...

JOE

Boffins can now trigger instant erections in rats by shining a blue light underneath them, and plan to extend the trial to humans soon.

Wait; is this some cruel new method of torture or a legit cure for impotence?

The science behind this revolutionary treatment seems quite straightforward. The team from the University of Zurich injected a gene that reacts to light into the rodents’ erectile tissue. A naturally-occurring enzyme then causes the stiffness to wear off over time.

Whilst this could be a godsend for those men who suffer from erectile disfunction it could be both a blessing and a terrible curse.

The team hope they could have a viable product within five to 10 years.

At least it’s less terrifying than the concept of using spider venom to cure wonky erections…