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Scientists create gene-edited animals as 'surrogate sires' to boost food production
BBC ^ | Kate Kelland

Posted on 09/14/2020 9:42:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Scientists have created gene-edited pigs, goats and cattle to produce sperm with traits such as disease resistance and higher meat quality in what they say is a step towards genetically enhancing livestock to improve food production.

The animals, created for the first time by researchers in the United States and Britain using a gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9, could be used as “surrogate sires”, essentially sterile blank slates that could then be transplanted with stem cells that produce the desired sperm, the scientists said.

The process could help farmers rear healthier, more productive animals using fewer resources such as feed, medicines and water, they said. It could also give breeders in remote regions of the world better access to genetic material of elite animals from elsewhere, allowing for “precision breeding”.

Oatley’s team used CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out a gene specific to male fertility in the animal embryos that would be raised to become the surrogate sires. The male animals were then born sterile, but began producing sperm after researchers transplanted stem cells from donor animals into their testes.

(Excerpt) Read more at uk.reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: geneedited; geneediting; surrogatesires

1 posted on 09/14/2020 9:42:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: SunkenCiv

2 posted on 09/14/2020 9:43:32 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

And we thought we had problems with editing bat viruses.


3 posted on 09/14/2020 10:08:59 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: BenLurkin

Why don’t these scientists work on
reducing flatulence which in turn,
would reduce global warming?
(I tossed it around in my head as to
wether or not, to include the sarcasm
tag.)


4 posted on 09/14/2020 10:15:41 PM PDT by Lean-Right (Eat More Moose)
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To: BenLurkin

You just watch. They are gonna F-up BACON!


5 posted on 09/14/2020 10:36:09 PM PDT by Delta 21
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To: BenLurkin

Great. They can make leaner flavorless beef. Will we be able to get heritage beef?


6 posted on 09/14/2020 10:40:21 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (With age comes wisdom or well practiced ignorance)
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To: BenLurkin

I am tired of science fooling around with God’s creation. https://spiritdailyblog.com/commentary/playing-with-hellfire


7 posted on 09/14/2020 10:42:11 PM PDT by Maudeen (Get Ready! https://www.patburt.com/)
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To: BenLurkin

Aren’t these the “meat is evil” and “ditch the dairy” and “save the planet” people? Why therefore all this fooling around with animal code?


8 posted on 09/14/2020 10:45:09 PM PDT by thecodont
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To: BenLurkin

Here is some video from the documentary of that attempt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NPvXMoVCV8


9 posted on 09/14/2020 10:59:01 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (homeless guy. He just has more money....He the master will plant more cotton for the democrat party)
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To: BenLurkin
The male animals were then born sterile, but began producing sperm after researchers transplanted stem cells from donor animals into their testes.

Animals first, human next. Imagine a lot of little Billy Gates' running around. Is this what is meant by "the future is female?"


10 posted on 09/14/2020 11:04:46 PM PDT by magooey (The Mandate of Heaven resides in the hearts of men.)
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To: BenLurkin

No having to guess where some of the creatures mentioned in the book of Revelation come from.


11 posted on 09/14/2020 11:20:35 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: BenLurkin

Most FReepers could do this gene editing in their garage - with very little instruction. I’m entirely serious.

It isn’t a matter of ‘can this be done’ anymore. More importantly, it’s a matter of ‘should this be done’.


12 posted on 09/15/2020 12:05:31 AM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: BenLurkin

Looks like an effort to make meat production more centralized like so many other things. We need a movement towards decentralizing and more distributed production in everything. Start with a farm tractor with a license that bars patents.


13 posted on 09/15/2020 12:15:33 AM PDT by familyop ( "Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy".)
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To: BenLurkin

This kind of stuff makes me really nervous.


14 posted on 09/15/2020 1:11:11 AM PDT by know.your.why (If you dont watch the MSM you are uninformed. If you do watch the MSM you are misinformed.)
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To: BenLurkin

“...to boost food production”

So, what happens when a several hundred 20-foot tall meat cows decide they don’t want to be slaughtered?


15 posted on 09/15/2020 6:43:45 AM PDT by moovova
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