Gene editing could help improve livestock - experts

PanARMENIAN.Net - Gene editing, which has raised ethical concerns due to its capacity to alter human DNA, is being considered in the United States as a tool for improving livestock, experts say, according to AFP.

The technique is different than that used in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because it does not introduce foreign genes, but rather alters already existing DNA.

But scientists and consumer groups say there is not enough evidence yet to shed light on the potential risks of gene editing, particularly regarding its trickle-down effects on the environment and the ecosystem.

"Gene editing is one of the newest and most promising tools of biotechnology," Alison Van Eenennaam, an expert in animal genetics and biotechnology at the University of California, Davis, told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

It "enables animal breeders to make beneficial genetic changes, without bringing along unwanted genetic changes," she added.

Artificial insemination, embryo transfer and genetic selection have led to significant improvements in animal breeding in recent years.

For instance, in the United States, selective reproduction to improve the milk output from cows has meant far fewer cows in the United States -- nine million today compared to 25.6 million in 1944 -- produce 1.6 times as much milk.

"Thanks to improvements made in the dairy industry through traditional breeding, a glass of milk today is associated with just one third of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to producing a glass of milk in the 1940s," Van Eenennaam said.

Gene editing can complement the toolkit available to breeders today by "precisely introducing desirable genetic variations into livestock breeding programs," she added.

This technique has already been used to make certain animals resistant to disease, such as pigs that are resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory virus.

A tuberculosis-resistant form of cattle was also reported recently out of China.