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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #425356
Research Project: Control Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Diseases Outbreaks Caused by Avian Influenza Viruses

Location: Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research

Title: Heritable genetic modification in food animals

Author
item HALLERMAN, ERIC - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item DUNHAM, BURNADETTE - George Washington University
item GARCIA, LYDA - The Ohio State University
item GOULD, FRED - North Carolina State University
item Kapczynski, Darrell
item Workman, Aspen
item MAGA, ELIZABETH - University Of California, Davis
item MCGREW, MIKE - University Of Edinburgh
item MUIR, WILLIAM - Purdue University
item MURRAY, JAMES - University Of California, Davis
item OATLEY, JON - Washington State University
item RIGGS, PENNY - Texas A&M University
item SPENCER, THOMAS - University Of Missouri
item STALLINGS, VIRGINIA - The Children'S Hospital Of Philadelphia

Submitted to: National Academy Press
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2025
Publication Date: 4/23/2025
Citation: Hallerman, E., Dunham, B., Garcia, L., Gould, F., Kapczynski, D.R., Workman, A.M., Maga, E., McGrew, M., Muir, W., Murray, J., Oatley, J., Riggs, P., Spencer, T., Stallings, V. 2025. Heritable genetic modification in food animals. Book Chapter. https://doi.org/10.17226/27750.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27750

Interpretive Summary: Modern techniques in animal agriculture, including gene transfer and gene editing, have the potential to greatly improve how we raise food animals, making it more efficient and sustainable. Nevertheless, crucial questions arise regarding animal welfare, food safety, and the appropriate regulatory frameworks for these modifications. To thoroughly examine these issues, a committee was established to investigate the methodologies, potential risks, methods for analyzing genetic alterations, and necessary research to guide the responsible use of these animal biotechnologies as we face increasing global population and resource demands.

Technical Abstract: With a growing human population and rising living standards, demand for animal-derived food products increases even as the availability of arable land and water decreases. Among the approaches that can be applied to increase efficiency and sustainability of food animal production is genetic improvement. Science-based selective breeding of livestock for production of meat, milk, eggs, wool, or other products traces back to the early 19th century. The rise of molecular genetics and its application to selective breeding in the late 20th century led to the identification of genes with major effects upon the productivity of livestock. The application of biotechnological methods – gene transfer and genome editing – and the consequent development of food animals with a heritable genetic modification (HGM) offers the potential for enhancing the productivity and sustainability of animal agriculture. However, there are concerns regarding animal welfare and the safety of HGM animal-derived food products to the consumer. A National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) study of these concerns is especially timely as the first lines of HGM animals are becoming commercialized.