Sterile male animals can have fertility restored, research at the Roslin Institute in Scotland has shown.
They have done it for cattle, pigs and goats by snipping out the fertility genes of healthy animals and inserting them into the DNA of sterile recipients.
One practical application would be sterilizing boars so they produce none of the substances that result in objectionable odours when their pork is cooked, then restoring fertility for the few that are kept as breeding stock.
More generally, the technique would enable farmers to insert the fertility genes – and their superior genetics – into lower-quality males.
The Roslin Institute said this would benefit farmers in remote regions who don’t have access to superior genetics..
“Our study provides a powerful proof of concept. This shows the world that this technology is real and can be used.
“We now have to go in and work out how best to use it productively to help feed our growing population,” Bruce Whitelaw, professor and Genus Personal Chair of Animal Biotechnology at the Roslin Institute said.
