Forabosco, Flavio
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Developmentsinbiotechnologyoverthepast25yearshaveallowedscientiststoengineer geneticallymodified(GM)animalsforuseinvariousareasofagricultureandmedicine.The greatmajorityofGManimalsandfisharecurrentlyonlyattheresearchstage.However,some animalswithananticipateduseinfoodproductionareclosetoreachingthegroceryshelf-at least,theywillbesoonavailableformarketing.GMlivestockincludemanydifferentkindsof animalsandspeciesmodifiedwiththeintention ofimprovingeconomicallyimportanttraits such asgrowth-rate,qualityofmeat,milkcomposition,diseaseresistanceandsurvival.Pigs havebeenengineeredtogrowfasterandtoproducemoremeatwithlessfeed;the compositionofporkhasalsobeenimprovedforhealthierhumanconsumption.Scientists havepaidparticularattentiontopighealth,raisingpigletsurvivalrates,reducingtherisksof infectiousdisease,andfortifyingtheporcineimmunesystem.Sheephavebeenmodifiedto improvewoolproductionandimmunity,and toreducetheriskofmortalityfollowing infectionsbybacteriaandlethalviruses.Growth-rateinchickenshasbeenincreasedwithonly limitedsuccess,becauseconventionalselection hasalreadyimprovedthistraitclosetoits biological limit.However,diseaseresistance(e.g.toH5N1)andthesurvivalofnewlyhatched chicks havebeenimproved.Udderhealthandsurvivalarethemostimportanttraitsimproved by transgenictechnologyincattle.GMcowswith resistancetoBSEhavebeenbred.Similar traitsaretargetedinfish,dominatedbysalmon, carpandtilapiaspecies,wherethefocusison meat production,meatquality,anddiseaseresistance.ThenumberofGMfarmanimalsand fish developedinlaboratoriesisincreasing,butforthepresentthenumberofspeciescloseto enteringthemarketremainssmall .
Published in
Livestock Science
2013, volume: 153, number: 1-3, pages: 9 p
Publisher: Elsevier
SLU Authors
Rydhmer, Lotta
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Global goals (SDG)
UKÄ Subject classification
Genetics and Breeding in Agricultural Sciences
Fish and Aquacultural Science
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.01.002
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/51409