Gene editing to produce 'super dad' livestock
Scientists have produced gene-edited animals they say could serve as "super dads" or "surrogate sires". The pigs, goats, cattle and mice make sperm carrying the genetic material of donor animals.
The researchers used a hi-tech gene editing tool to knock out a male fertility gene in animal embryos. The animals were born sterile, but began producing sperm after an injection of sperm-producing cells from donor animals.
The technique would enable surrogate males to sire offspring carrying the genetic material of valuable elite animals such as prize bulls, said a US-UK team. This would be a step towards genetically enhancing livestock to improve food production, they added.
Also at Reuters and Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
Donor-derived spermatogenesis following stem cell transplantation in sterile NANOS2 knockout males (open, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010102117) (DX)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2020, @11:11AM
no text.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by shrewdsheep on Wednesday September 16 2020, @11:16AM
Scientifically, this is interesting. Once matured I expect this technique to be potentially applied in animal breeding similar to grafting in plants. High-performance traits can now be propagated irrespective of the reproductive performance of the animals (well, expect for a few sub-traits, like sperm production). This will lead to more vulnerable populations and further thinning of the gene pool. For now, there are legal barriers as well around gene manipulation.
I am unsure whether I would like to see this introduced into farming on a greater scale.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2020, @12:58PM (7 children)
If it should never ever be applied to humans, because eventually it will be.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2020, @01:18PM
Blonde Hair, Blue Eyed super soldiers. Next step S.W.Clone Wars.
What is mono culture good for... destroying everything! On new "bug" all cattle are gone, or corn, or wheat. However, the corp that owns this... take all the money.
BIO-Deversity !!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2020, @01:29PM (3 children)
So [bbc.com] true [bbc.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2020, @02:47PM (2 children)
for what it's worth, I got bored after 4 or 5 embedded spoiler environments.
if anyone is patient enough to get to the bottom, please share the number of levels, I'm curious.
(Score: 4, Informative) by DannyB on Wednesday September 16 2020, @02:50PM
I got to the bottom. I could share what I found, but I am afraid that would spoil it for you.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2020, @11:09PM
Power of 2.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 16 2020, @03:04PM
We already invent things, horrible things, which are okay to apply to some humans.
See: all of human history
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 16 2020, @03:05PM
If it's not worth inventing, then definitely be sure to secure patent rights for it. To earn royalties when someone else invents it.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Wednesday September 16 2020, @03:01PM
For get improving food production. Do something more useful for humanity.
How about more and better beef flavors on the store shelves? Cherry flavored beef. Pickled Banana beef. Beefier flavored beef. A1 flavored beef.
Then we could also talk about beef colors. Like Skittles, the color doesn't have to match the flavor to keep it interesting.
Another major advance would be meatless vegetarian beef animals.
"If God wanted us to do Genetic Engineering, Software, or Politics, he would have given our species brains."
-- DannyB
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by DECbot on Wednesday September 16 2020, @04:04PM
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