Towards progressive regulatory approaches for agricultural applications of animal biotechnology

Recombinant DNA: unlocking untapped microbial potential for innovation in crop agriculture

The Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA, held in 1975, established guidelines for recombinant DNA (rDNA) research and laid the foundation for biotechnology regulations. While rDNA has driven significant advancements in pharmaceutical and crop biotechnology, the commercialization of plant-beneficial microbials developed using rDNA has lagged behind. This disparity may be attributed to a cumbersome regulatory framework shaped by the perception that rDNA products pose biosafety risks. To unlock the full potential of rDNA technology in addressing global challenges, regulatory reform for rDNA-derived microbial products for crop plants that reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides is essential. Streamlining these barriers will enable greater societal benefits from microbial solutions in agriculture and beyond.

Global regulatory policies for animal biotechnology: overview, opportunities and challenges

Genome editing (GnEd) has the potential to provide many benefits to animal agriculture, offering a means for achieving rapid growth, disease resistance, and novel phenotypes. The technology has the potential to be useful for rapidly incorporating traits into existing selectively bred animals without the need for crossbreeding and backcrossing. Yet only four products from animals created via biotechnology, all growth-enhanced fishes, have reached commercialization and only on a limited scale. The past failure of genetically engineered (or GM) products to reach conventional producers can largely be attributed to the high cost of meeting GMO regulatory requirements. We review the history of GMO regulations internationally, noting the influence of Codex Alimentarius on the development of many existing regulatory frameworks. We highlight new regulatory approaches for GnEd organisms, first developed by Argentina, and the adoption of similar approaches by other countries. Such new regulatory approaches allow GnEd organisms that could have been developed by conventional means to be regulated under the same rules as conventional organisms and in the future is likely to enhance the opportunity for biotech animals to enter production. Treating certain GnEd products as conventional has had a large impact on the variety of biotechnological innovations successfully navigating regulatory processes. We suggest that for the full potential of GnEd technologies to be realized, enabling public policies are needed to facilitate use of GnEd as a breeding tool to incorporate new traits within existing animal breeding programs, rather than only a tool to create distinct new products.

Social acceptance of genetic engineering technology

Genetic engineering of animals has been proposed to address societal problems, but public acceptance of the use of this technology is unclear. Previous work has shown that the source of information proposing the technology (e.g. companies, universities), the term used to describe the technology (e.g. genome editing, genetic modification), and the genetic engineering application (e.g. different food products) affects technology acceptance. We conducted three mixed-method surveys and used a causal trust-acceptability model to understand social acceptance of genetic engineering (GE) by investigating 1) the source of information proposing the technology, 2) the term used to describe the technology, and 3) the GE application for farm animals proposed. Further, participants expressed their understanding of technology using a range of terms interchangeably, all describing technology used to change an organism's DNA. We used structural equation modelling and confirmed model fit for each survey. In each survey, perceptions of benefit had the greatest effect on acceptance. Following our hypothesized model, social trust had an indirect influence on acceptance through similar effects of perceived benefit and perceived risk. Additional quantitative analysis showed that the source of information and technology term had little to no effect on acceptance. Applications involving animals were perceived as less beneficial than a plant application, and an application for increased cattle muscle growth was perceived as more risky than a plant application. When assessing the acceptability of applications participants considered impacts on plants, animals, and people, trust in actors and technologies, and weighed benefits and drawbacks of GE. Future work should consider how to best measure acceptability of GE for animals, consider contextual factors and consider the use of inductive frameworks.

Perspectives in Genome-Editing Techniques for Livestock

Genome editing of farm animals has undeniable practical applications. It helps to improve production traits, enhances the economic value of livestock, and increases disease resistance. Gene-modified animals are also used for biomedical research and drug production and demonstrate the potential to be used as xenograft donors for humans. The recent discovery of site-specific nucleases that allow precision genome editing of a single-cell embryo (or embryonic stem cells) and the development of new embryological delivery manipulations have revolutionized the transgenesis field. These relatively new approaches have already proven to be efficient and reliable for genome engineering and have wide potential for use in agriculture. A number of advanced methodologies have been tested in laboratory models and might be considered for application in livestock animals. At the same time, these methods must meet the requirements of safety, efficiency and availability of their application for a wide range of farm animals. This review aims at covering a brief history of livestock animal genome engineering and outlines possible future directions to design optimal and cost-effective tools for transgenesis in farm species.

Review: Progress in producing chimeric ungulate livestock for agricultural applications

The progress made in recent years in the derivation and culture of pluripotent stem cells from farm animals opens up the possibility of creating livestock chimeras. Chimeras producing gametes exclusively derived from elite donor stem cells could pass superior genetics on to the next generation and thereby reduce the genetic lag that typically exists between the elite breeding sector and the commercial production sector, especially for industries like beef and sheep where genetics is commonly disseminated through natural service mating. Chimeras carrying germ cells generated from genome-edited or genetically engineered pluripotent stem cells could further disseminate useful genomic alterations such as climate adaptation, animal welfare improvements, the repair of deleterious genetic conditions, and/or the elimination of undesired traits such as disease susceptibility to the next generation. Despite the successful production of chimeras with germ cells generated from pluripotent donor stem cells injected into preimplantation-stage blastocysts in model species, there are no documented cases of this occurring in livestock. Here, we review the literature on the derivation of pluripotent stem cells from ungulates, and progress in the production of chimeric ungulate livestock for agricultural applications, drawing on insights from studies done in model species, and discuss future possibilities of this fast-moving and developing field. Aside from the technical aspects, the consistency of the regulatory approach taken by different jurisdictions towards chimeric ungulate livestock with germ cells generated from pluripotent stem cells and their progeny will be an important determinant of breeding industry uptake and adoption in animal agriculture.

Genome centric engineering using ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR-Cas9 systems for trait improvement and disease control in Animals

Livestock is an essential life commodity in modern agriculture involving breeding and maintenance. The farming practices have evolved mainly over the last century for commercial outputs, animal welfare, environment friendliness, and public health. Modifying genetic makeup of livestock has been proposed as an effective tool to create farmed animals with characteristics meeting modern farming system goals. The first technique used to produce transgenic farmed animals resulted in random transgene insertion and a low gene transfection rate. Therefore, genome manipulation technologies have been developed to enable efficient gene targeting with a higher accuracy and gene stability. Genome editing (GE) with engineered nucleases-Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) regulates the targeted genetic alterations to facilitate multiple genomic modifications through protein-DNA binding. The application of genome editors indicates usefulness in reproduction, animal models, transgenic animals, and cell lines. Recently, CRISPR/Cas system, an RNA-dependent genome editing tool (GET), is considered one of the most advanced and precise GE techniques for on-target modifications in the mammalian genome by mediating knock-in (KI) and knock-out (KO) of several genes. Lately, CRISPR/Cas9 tool has become the method of choice for genome alterations in livestock species due to its efficiency and specificity. The aim of this review is to discuss the evolution of engineered nucleases and GETs as a powerful tool for genome manipulation with special emphasis on its applications in improving economic traits and conferring resistance to infectious diseases of animals used for food production, by highlighting the recent trends for maintaining sustainable livestock production.

Progress and opportunities through use of genomics in animal production

The rearing of farmed animals is a vital component of global food production systems, but its impact on the environment, human health, animal welfare, and biodiversity is being increasingly challenged. Developments in genetic and genomic technologies have had a key role in improving the productivity of farmed animals for decades. Advances in genome sequencing, annotation, and editing offer a means not only to continue that trend, but also, when combined with advanced data collection, analytics, cloud computing, appropriate infrastructure, and regulation, to take precision livestock farming (PLF) and conservation to an advanced level. Such an approach could generate substantial additional benefits in terms of reducing use of resources, health treatments, and environmental impact, while also improving animal health and welfare.

Public Engagement with Biotechnology Inside and Outside the Classroom: Community-Focused Approaches

Biotechnology offers vast benefits to the environment, animals, and human health, and contributes to improving socioeconomic conditions for the public. However, biotechnology innovations continue to trigger public concern and opposition over their potential social, health, and ecological risks. There is an opportunity to increase knowledge and acceptance of biotechnology through engagement, education, and community participation. In this perspective, we highlight crucial factors that shape the public perception of biotechnology and present opportunities for scientists to effectively communicate their ideas while engaging with local and global communities. Initiatives that seek to involve communities in design, development, and adoption processes are crucial for the successful implementation of biotechnology-based solutions.

NTH2 1271_1272delTA Gene Disruption Results in Salt Tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Trehalose is a common energy reservoir, and its accumulation results in osmotic protection. This sugar can accumulate through its synthesis or slow degradation of the reservoir by trehalase enzymes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two neutral trehalases, NTH1 and NTH2, responsible for 75% and 25% of the enzymatic metabolism. We were interested in the loss-of-function of both enzymes with CRISPR/Cas9. The later NTH2 was of great importance since it is responsible for minor metabolic degradation of this sugar. It was believed that losing its functionality results in limited osmotic protection. We constructed an osmotolerant superior yeast capable of growing in 0.85 M NaCl after independent nth2 1271_1272delTA mutation by CRISPR/Cas9 technology, compared with nth1 893_894insT and wild type. We suggest that this yeast model could give clues to breeding commercial yeast resulting in non-GMO salinity-tolerant strains.