DNA Day
April 26, 2022
April 25 is DNA Day – a day commemorating the completion of the human genome in 2003 and the discovery of DNA in 1953. This statue in Russia playfully acknowledges the contribution of laboratory mice in furthering science.
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“Tucked away in central Russia, an adorable statue pays homage to the animals that lose their lives in the name of science every year. Located in Siberia in the city of Novosibirsk, the sculpture shows a scholarly looking mouse knitting. And when one looks closer, it’s apparent that this mouse isn’t knitting an ordinary scarf or a hat. No, it’s actually knitting a double-strand of DNA.
The sculpture sits in front of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics at the Russian Academy of Sciences and was completed in 2013. Called the Monument to the Laboratory Mouse, it was designed to honor the 55th anniversary of the founding of the institute. Forged from bronze, it took a year to complete. The mouse wears spectacles on the bridge of its nose, lost in concentration about the work that it’s doing.
‘It combines both the image of a laboratory mouse and a scientist, because they are connected to each other and serve one cause,’ said sculptor Andrei Kharkevich of the design. “The mouse is imprinted at the time of scientific discovery.'”
Gunsmoke and Knitting 
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