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Bill Gates Donates $40 Million for Genetic Research on Cows

posted by Fnord666 on Thursday February 01 2018, @10:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the more-methane-production dept.

takyon writes:

Bill Gates has donated $40 million to Scottish researchers trying to create a cow that can thrive in hotter conditions, such as those in Africa:

Tweaking genes could be one way of increasing the hardiness of some livestock breeds. By isolating desirable genetics traits from European and African cow breeds, geneticists hope to design a cow that produces high quantities of milk and is also able to withstand exceptionally high temperatures.

An Edinburgh-based nonprofit, GALVmed (Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines) just received $40 million from Bill Gates to conduct genetic research with this aim in mind. "You can have a cow that is four times as productive with the same survivability," Gates told the Times.

The philanthropist told the BBC that he was investing in the nonprofit's research because "there is great [...] understanding here of both animal diseases and how we can treat it, and how we enhance the genetics so that you can get, say the same type of milk or egg productivity that we have in the U.K."

Related: Bill Gates Commits $100 Million to Alzheimer's Research
Bill Gates Invests $80 Million in Arizona "Smart City"
Bill Gates Looks to Immunotherapy to Help Control All Infectious Diseases

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by acid andy on Friday February 02 2018, @01:44AM (4 children)

    by acid andy (1683) on Friday February 02 2018, @01:44AM (#631827) Homepage Journal

    I really don't understand why a milk cow has to weigh 1,400 – 2,000 lbs to stand in a field all day, when a Wildebeest can run half way across Africa in giant herds and each one weighs in at only 260 – 600 lbs.

    I really don't think the cows understand why either. I think the dairy herds are still bred to be eaten.

    --
    If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
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  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @05:17AM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @05:17AM (#631895)

    Well, if you are eating veal, it's likely a male born on a dairy farm.

    Dairy cows that have ended their value WRT producing milk are likely to turn up in hot dogs, baloney, and dog food.

    -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 2) by acid andy on Friday February 02 2018, @03:38PM (2 children)

      by acid andy (1683) on Friday February 02 2018, @03:38PM (#632022) Homepage Journal

      Well, if you are eating veal, it's likely a male born on a dairy farm.

      After decades of public awareness and campaigning, I can't believe they're still doing that barabaric shit. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be human.

      --
      If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @04:25PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @04:25PM (#632040)

        Only takes one bull to service a herd of milk cows, the dairy farmers have to do something with the male calves. Visited a dairy a few years ago and the farmer's comment was that his bull was getting lazy (old), time to raise a new one.

        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @06:58PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @06:58PM (#632106)

          eating them is one thing. chaining them down is quite another. no excuse for that shit.