March 25, 2015

1 Min Read
Genome-edited pigs produced using revolutionary technology

Two years of intense research at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland has resulted in 18 piglets that represent a breakthrough in the field of genetic engineering.

Bhanu Telugu, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal & Avian Sciences, and Ki-Eun Park, PhD, a faculty research assistant in ANSC, successfully produced genome-edited pigs using a recently developed, groundbreaking technique called the CRISPR system.

Known as a “target and replace/modify function” for DNA, the CRISPR system has dramatically improved scientists’ ability to disable genes or modify their function inside any living cell. Originally discovered in a natural system used by bacteria to protect themselves from infection by viruses, the CRISPR method is currently being tested in various biomedical applications on a variety of species. Park and Telugu’s lab is one of only a handful in North America to successfully use the method in pigs.

“From a bio-medical standpoint, the pig is really one of the most important animals,” said Telugu, noting that other large animal models like cows or sheep don’t have digestive systems, diets or physiology similar enough to humans’ to provide insight into human diseases. Park and Telugu were able to put their own “spin” on the method, discovering a way to directly modify nucleotides, rather than deleting specific genes to achieve their desired result. The duo is pursuing a patent on this technique.

Read the complete article by clicking here

Subscribe to Our Newsletters
National Hog Farmer is the source for hog production, management and market news

You May Also Like