Review article
GENETIC ENGINEERING AND CLONING IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE: BIOETHICAL AND FOOD SAFETY CONCERNS
Michael W. Fox
; 2135 Indiana Ave N., Golden Valley, MN 55422, USA
Abstract
The farming of animals for human medical and other commercial/
/industrial purposes is being intensified through two new biotechnologies. One is genetic engineering that involves the splicing of alien genes into target animal embryos to create ‘transgenic’ animals, or the deletion of certain genes to create ‘knockout’ genetically modified animals. The other is cloning, that entails taking cells from the desired type of animal, that may be transgenic or a ‘knockout’, or from a conventionally bred genotype possessing such qualities as rapid growth or high milk or wool yield, and inserting the nuclei of these cells into the emptied ova from donor animals of the same species. Once activated by electrical fusion of the nucleus to the egg wall, these embryo -developing ova are inserted into surrogate mothers to be gestated. Successful gene-splicing techniques and lines of transgenic and knockout animals, along with many varieties of transgenic crops, notably corn, cotton, rice, and soy bean, have been patented by the US government, university-biotechnology industry developers and investors, and most notably by the multinational pharmaceutical and ‘life science’ industries like Monsanto. The pros and cons, costs and consequences of these forms of extreme biological manipulation for human profit will be examined in terms of who are the primary beneficiaries and losers from an objective, veterinary bioethical perspective
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
43096
URI
Publication date:
10.7.2009.
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