India’s first gene-edited sheep

Scientists and researchers at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) have developed India’s first gene-edited sheep using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

• The development comes on the heels of the recent release of India’s first gene-edited rice variety, endorsed by Union Ministry for Agriculture, and further cements India’s growing prowess in genomic science.

Key Highlights

• The edited sheep contains no foreign DNA, distinguishing it from transgenic organisms and paving the way for regulatory approval under India’s evolving biotech policy framework.
• The same research team had previously cloned India’s first Pashmina goat- ‘Noori’- in 2012, a milestone that garnered global acclaim. the gene-edited lamb has been modified for the ‘myostatin’ gene – a regulator of muscle growth.
• By disrupting this gene, muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30 per cent, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel.
• The technique has multiple applications. Scientists can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals.
• It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth. Gene editing, also known as genome editing, is a group of technologies that allow scientists to precisely change an organism’s DNA.
• These technologies enable the addition, removal, or alteration of genetic material at specific locations within the genome.

(Sources: Mint)