Biotechnology in Livestock Production

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Biotechnology in Livestock Production
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Definition

• the science of altering genetic and reproductive
  processes in plants and animals

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Two areas

• genetic engineering
• embryo transfer

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Genetic Engineering

• is based on a technology involving recombinant
  DNA
• Deoxyribonucleic acid

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Genetic Engineering

• involves taking a tiny bit of DNA containing the
  desired gene from one organism and splicing it
  into the DNA strand of another organism

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Genetic Engineering

• purpose - to have the recipient organism take on
  the characteristic controlled by the transferred
  gene

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Examples

• disease resistant animals
• growth regulators
• new drugs and vaccines

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Examples

• specify size and sex of animals
• organism that eats oil used in the Persian Gulf

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BST

• Bovine Somatotropin (Bovine Growth Hormone)
• Somatotropins are proteins that affect the
  utilization of energy in the body

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BST

• causes energy derived from feed to be used for
  milk production rather than weight gain

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BST

• does not reduce energy available for body
  maintenance
• increases energy available by improving breakdown
  of fat and increasing appetite

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BST

• small amounts of BST are produced naturally in
  the cow by the pituitary gland

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BST

• previously, the only source of BST for research
  has been from pituitary glands of dead cows

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BST

• now, because of genetic engineering, large
  quantities of BST can be produced

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BST

• gene that controls BST production is spliced into
  the DNA of a bacteria Agrobacteria
• is injected into a cow

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BST

• causing increased BST production in the cow

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BST

• research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
  and Cornell University in New York has showed an
  average increase of 40 over lactation (305 days)

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Formula

• 20,000 X 40 8000 of extra milk
• 8000 _at_ 10/cwt 800

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Porcine Somatotropin

• is produced naturally by the pituitary gland of
  the pig
• it acts as a growth regulator

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PST

• production decreases as an animal matures

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PST

• produced through RDNA technology

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PST

• how it works
• A. causes an increase in cell division in muscle
  tissue.
• B. causes decrease in fat storage and increases
  in accumulation of protein.

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PST

• C. improves feed efficiency and decrease fat
  deposition

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Results

• A. increase in feed efficiency 29
• B. increase daily gain 19
• C. increase loin eye area 12
• D. decreases fat 33

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Results

• must be injected daily

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Opposition to Biotech

• people fear
• production of new uncontrollable disease
• freak animals

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Opposition to Biotech

• long term adverse effects of environment from
  products

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Biotech in Crop Production

• lowered costs and increased yields
• improved feeding values
• new corn plant

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Biotech in Crop Production

• produces higher levels of tryptophan
• amino acid essential for protein formation in an
  animals body.

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Biotech in Crop Production

• the first plant patented

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Other areas researched

• herbicide resistance
• pest resistance
• frost resistance
• salt tolerant
• drought resistance

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Embryo Transfer

• well established in cattle industry, especially
  dairy

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Process

• cow is treated with hormones to cause
  superovulation
• can produce as many as 25 eggs

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Process

• donor cow then artificially inseminated

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Process

• during this process, Recipient cows or heifers
  are treated with hormones to synchronize their
  heat cycle to be the same as the donor cow.

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Process

• after the eggs are fertilized and before they
  leave the oviduct, the cow is flushed with a
  saline solution or a solution of egg yolk and
  D.M.S.O.

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Process

• ovaries and oviducts are massaged flushed with
  fluid-which washes the fertilized eggs out of the
  body into a cylinder

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Process

• individual embryos are located under a microscope
  and put into a straw

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Process

• embryos may be frozen much the same as cattle
  semen samples
• first research in the U.S. was done in central WI
  in 1982

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Process

• freezing protocol now widely used
• most transfer work is done non-surgically with
  success rates of approximately 75

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Splitting

• research has also successfully split embryos
  resulting in as many as 5 identical calves

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Slow Progress

• many characteristics are controlled by multiple
  genes instead of a single gene

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Slow Progress

• lack of money for research
• government regulations
• environmental groups filing lawsuits to stop
  research and testing

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Slow Progress

• many farmers dont support genetic engineering
  because they feel we already have surplus
  production

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