Scientists at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh are working on new research creating an avian flu-resistant chicken. It could be the most promising way to prevent bird flu and reduce the shortage of poultry products due to this disease.
According to the researchers, if the study is successful, genetically modified chickens could become or be available in five or ten years.
This research group was able in 2019 to utilize the “genome-editing Crispr to delete a section of chicken DNA that the virus needs to replicate.” The results indicated that the virus could not grow inside cells after the genetic alteration.
- At that time, the experiment was evaluated only in chicken cells, but scientists are working on trying the technique in live animals and seeing what happens on farms.
“We have been working on this project since those first results were published back in 2019, and we have results.” Said Dr. Mike McGrew, the group leader at the Roslin Institute, which also produced Dolly the sheep.
Dr. Mcgrew added that all results are written in a scientific article that is under review to be published soon. He considers that “Breeding a chicken that is completely resistant to infection by avian influenza viruses is a scientific challenge, and the research into the efficacy of any genetic resistance must be carefully developed.”
The development of an avian flu-resistant chicken will impact the market positively since, as has been observed during the last months, birds
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