Researches at the Univ. of Mass-Amhearst, lead by professor Dan Chase have developed a technique that allows the down regulation of any protein, at any time, without mutation of the DNA of the organism under study. This will allow scientists to remove a protein activity in just one cell, and not affect the metabolism of the entire organism. Dr. Chase's team used this technique to determine what would happen if they manipulated dopamine levels in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. This worm is a fantastic model system to study development and all sorts of eukaryotic functions. It contains only 959 cells, yet carries out many of the functions of more complex organisms, including humans.