livestock

Government consults public on future of gene editing to improve crops and livestock 

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Frankenstein foods created by editing genes in crops and livestock could be on the plate in future as the government opens a consultation into uses of the technology.    Gene editing is a process that enables changes to the traits of plants and animals more quickly than traditional selective breeding – which has been used for … Read more

Stem cell breakthrough allows male livestock to serve as ‘surrogate sires’

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A breakthrough in stem cell research allowed scientists to create ‘surrogate sires’ that produce sperm with the genetic traits of a donor animal. So far the new technique has been used to create pigs, goats and cattle with the sole purpose of producing sperm with the DNA of another male.  Researchers from Washington State University … Read more

Self-cloning ticks from East Asia that are invading parts of the US pose a threat to livestock

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Mother nature has unleashed a number of bizarre insects across the US this year – first it murderous hornets, then annoying cicadas and now self-cloning ticks. Asian longhorned ticks have been spotted in the northeast for the first time since 2017 and are known to carry dangerous diseases that infect livestock. What makes this species … Read more