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Genetic engineering project

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Is it ethical to genetically modify farm animals for agriculture? Genetic engineering refers to the direct manipulation of an organism’s genes to alter or enhance certain characteristics.

Is it ethical to genetically modify farm animals for agriculture?

The number of genetically modified? Animals used in agriculture has increased significantly in recent years. Researchers have genetically engineered a number of mammals, from laboratory animals to farm animals, as well as birds, fish and insects. The most widely used genetically modified animals are laboratory animals, such as the fruitfly (Drosophila) and mice. Genetically engineered animals enable scientists to gain an insight into basic biological processes and the relationships between mutations? However, farm animals, such as sheep, goats and cows, can also be genetically modified to enhance specific characteristics. The majority of work on genetically modified farm animals is still in the research phase and is yet to be used commercially. 0Do the benefits of genetically modified farm animals outweigh the risks? 1 Is genetic modification of farm animals ethical? Unspinning the Web of Spider-Goat.

Breeding transgenic goats for spider silk is unethical, and passing surplus goats onto the public food chain unsafe; the project has never been subject to regulatory risk assessment and there is not a single report characterizing the transgenic sequences in the spider-goats’ genome Dr.

Unspinning the Web of Spider-Goat

Mae-Wan Ho A concerted PR campaign Within the past two years, a concerted media campaign has been launched to promote the ‘spider-goat’, a goat genetically engineered to produce spider silk proteins in its milk. Many of us were caught by surprise, because transgenic animals and the associated somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning began in the late 1990s [1] (Why Clone At All? , I-SIS report), and have been practically abandoned a decade later on account of the low success rates on top of the unacceptably high rates of death and abnormalities, and suffering inflicted on both cloned animals and surrogate mothers (see [2] Unacceptable Death Rates End Cloning Trials in New Zealand, SiS 50).

References Ho MW. Genetically Engineered "Spider Goat" Spins Out Elastic Material Superior to Kevlar. It just might be that in a few years time the fashion world will embrace spider goat silk.

Genetically Engineered "Spider Goat" Spins Out Elastic Material Superior to Kevlar

The world’s top models will ply fashion runways of New York, Paris, Tokyo and Beijing dressed in spider goat silk, the rich and famous will show off the new fashion at Hollywood galas and the rest of humanity will look on enviously. A “Spider Goat” named Freckles is part spider and part goat, created by Randy Lewis, professor of genetics at Utah State University, is an attempt to produce “dragline silk” spiders used to catch themselves when they fall. The material is stronger than Kevlar, a synthetic fiber used as a reinforcing agent in tires, rubber products, and protective gear.

Synthetic Biology & Engineering New Materials Synthetic biology involves the creation of biological systems to solve challenging life science and engineering problems. How to Build Synthetic Organisms The New Frontier New Advances in Medicine & Energy Related articles on IndustryTap: Spider Silk. Applications of Spider Silk Humans have been making use of spider silk for thousands of years.

Spider Silk

The ancient Greeks used cobwebs to stop wounds from bleeding and the Aborigines used silk as fishing lines for small fish. More recently, silk was used as the crosshairs in optical targeting devices such as guns and telescopes until World War II and people of the Solomon Islands still use silk as fish nets. Current research in spider silk involves its potential use as an incredibly strong and versatile material. The interest in spider silk is mainly due to a combination of its mechanical properties and the non-polluting way in which it is made.

Bullet-proof clothing Wear-resistant lightweight clothing Ropes, nets, seat belts, parachutes Rust-free panels on motor vehicles or boats Biodegradable bottles Bandages, surgical thread Artificial tendons or ligaments, supports for weak blood vessels. However the production of spider silk is not simple and there are inherent problems. The goats with spider genes and silk in their milk.