Breeders will soon be able to produce animals that are immune to disease, says UK’s top animal scientistFarming is poised for a gene editing revolution that could overcome some of the world’s most serious livestock diseases, the UK’s top animal scientist has said. “Globally this is the most significant pig disease,” Riley said. The advance came after scientists identified the pig gene that encodes the receptor on the surface of cells that the virus binds to to gain entry. Modern gene editing is far more precise, making unanticipated side effects much less likely. “As a race we may one day decide [to be vegan], but in the interim we’ve got a big problem with sustainable livestock production.”

Source: The Guardian March 17, 2018 09:22 UTC