Genetic Engineering In Livestock

Upcoming applications of genetic engineering in farm animals include higher yields, leaner meat, or disease resistance. The proceedings cover an analysis of the state of the art of the technology and its applications, an introduction to the specific application zoopharming (a method to produce biopharmaceuticals in transgenic livestock), including an analysis of the market for biopharmaceuticals. In addition an assessment of ethical aspects of livestock biotechnology and considerations regarding animal welfare implications are covered. The study is addressed to science, industry and politics.

Assists policymakers in evaluating the appropriate scientific methods for detecting unintended changes in food and assessing the potential for adverse health effects from genetically modified products. In this book, the committee recommended that greater scrutiny should be given to foods containing new compounds or unusual amounts of naturally occurring substances, regardless of the method used to create them. The book offers a framework to guide federal agencies in selecting the route of safety assessment. It identifies and recommends several pre- and post-market approaches to guide the assessment of unintended compositional changes that could result from genetically modified foods and research avenues to fill the knowledge gaps.

Genetic-based animal biotechnology has produced new food and pharmaceutical products and promises many more advances to benefit humankind. These exciting prospects are accompanied by considerable unease, however, about matters such as safety and ethics. This book identifies science-based and policy-related concerns about animal biotechnologyâ€"key issues that must be resolved before the new breakthroughs can reach their potential. The book includes a short history of the field and provides understandable definitions of terms like cloning. Looking at technologies on the near horizon, the authors discuss what we know and what we fear about their effectsâ€"the inadvertent release of dangerous microorganisms, the safety of products derived from biotechnology, the impact of genetically engineered animals on their environment. In addition to these concerns, the book explores animal welfare concerns, and our societal and institutional capacity to manage and regulate the technology and its products. This accessible volume will be important to everyone interested in the implications of the use of animal biotechnology.

J. Warren Evans Department of Animal Science Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843 In the near future, improvement of domestic animals for the production of food and fiber is poised to undergo a revolution by the utilization of recent breakthroughs and advances in molecular genetics, embryo manipula tions, and gene transfer systems. Utilization of these techniques will have a wide impact on animal agriculture by improvement of production effi ciency via manipulation and control of many physiological systems. The end result will be to decrease production costs, increase food production and quality, and lower food costs. Health and well being of domestic and other animals will be improved as a result of new methods of disease diagnosis, vaccine production, and disease prevention practices. Genetic engineering also offers the possibility of utilizing animals for the development of pharmaceutical products to benefit society. Research progress will be en hanced via manipulation of the gene pool. The objectives of this Conference were to discuss the current status of animal bioengineering and to realistically assess the potential applica tions of current and future genetic technologies for the production of food and fiber to meet the needs of our hungry world, and to provide animal sci entists who may wish to utilize bioengineering in current or future re search programs with current background information regarding concepts, ap plications, and methodologies.

As scientists continue to make genetic breakthroughs, society inches ever closer to confronting the stuff horror movies are made of. Cloning a mourned pet is simply strange, but the thought of human cloning is terrifying. Manipulating genes to reduce genetic disease is encouraging only until we consider the ethical implications of potentially creating a master race. Genetically engineering crops and animals can address many problems like disease, climate change, and world hunger, but altering the environment could have catastrophic results for Earth. Articles presenting these issues from persuasive points of view help readers understanding the controversies surrounding genetic engineering today.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.

A comprehensive overview of the main topics presented in the book, briegly outlining each contributor's focus. I particularly enjoyed the fact that edited transcripts of the discussions which took place at the conference itself were appended at the end of each part. ...it has none of the weaknesses usually associated with the "philosopher's outflow". Jeremy Rifkin suceeds in delineating his views on the various aspects of genetic engineering in a very systematic way, with the use of particulary pertinent examples. I must admit that it is the chapter which most appealed to me, and I would strongly recommen it to any reader who cannot spare the time to read the whole book. Animal Genetic Engineering: Of Pigs, Oncomice and Men is a high quality book, in which the editors kep their promises to the reader.