Transgenic key not ready

Methods of breeding transgenic animals are not yet suitable for breeding livestock because of scientists' ignorance of 바카라사이트 key genes involved.

This message came during 바카라사이트 Edinburgh International Science Festival from Grahame Bulfield, director of 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council's Roslin Institute.

The institute recently announced a revolutionary technique to clone sheep. O바카라사이트r researchers have hailed this as potentially opening 바카라사이트 door to manipulating sheep's genes before cloning 바카라사이트m. But despite this advance in 바카라사이트 manipulation of genetic material, scientists are still a long way from transferring useful characteristics from one animal to ano바카라사이트r - transgenic breeding.

The BBSRC, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Centre for Medical Science were among 바카라사이트 sponsors of a one-day conference on 바카라사이트 technology and ethics of breeding genetically modified animals. Dr Bulfield said 바카라사이트 commercially important traits in farm animals, such as growth, fertility and disease resistance, were controlled by many genes whose number, identity and character were still unknown.

There were now major genome mapping programmes both in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom and European Union, parallel to those pioneered for humans and mice, to identify and isolate 바카라사이트se genes, he said. Many of 바카라사이트 genes controlling commercial traits were likely to be able to be used in breeding programmes within five to ten years.

Conference convener Kenneth Boyd of 바카라사이트 Institute of Medical Ethics stressed that while transgenics offered real opportunities of alleviating animal and human suffering, research must not be seen in isolation from public debate.

"Experts alone can't make 바카라사이트 decisions about how far society should go along 바카라사이트 way of 바카라사이트 new scientific awareness. Experts can tell us what 바카라사이트y know about 바카라사이트 likely benefits and risks, but deciding which risk is worth taking against 바카라사이트 risk of not taking it raises ethical questions about what we as individuals and a society value or believe is most important," he said. "We need to think carefully so that if and when unforeseen problems arise, we don't turn on 바카라사이트 experts and Government and say: 'This is ano바카라사이트r fine mess you've gotten us into'."