{"id":49607,"date":"2025-10-27T10:03:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T04:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=49607"},"modified":"2025-10-29T15:19:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T09:49:51","slug":"first-gene-edited-sheep-marks-milestone-in-livestock-biotechnology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/first-gene-edited-sheep-marks-milestone-in-livestock-biotechnology\/","title":{"rendered":"First Gene-Edited Sheep Marks Milestone in Livestock Biotechnology"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Gene-Edited Sheep Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Six months ago, a team led by Professor Riyaz Ahmad Shah at Sher-e-Kashmir University (SKUAST), Srinagar, successfully birthed\u00a0<strong>India\u2019s first gene-edited sheep<\/strong>\u2014a Kashmir Merino.<\/li>\n<li>The breakthrough was kept under wraps until gene sequencing confirmed its success. This milestone marks a major step in India\u2019s genetic research, opening doors to transgenic advancements in livestock aimed at improving meat and milk yield, disease resistance, and climate resilience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Kashmir Merino\u00a0<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Kashmir Merino is a sheep breed developed in Kashmir Valley, India, known for its fine, high-quality wool and good meat production.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It is a dual-purpose breed, meaning it&#8217;s used for both wool and meat, and it is well-suited to the harsh conditions of the Kashmir Valley.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Development<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Kashmir Merino breed was evolved around 1960 at Govt. Sheep Breeding and Reserch Farm Reasi (Jammu).<\/li>\n<li>It was developed through a cross-breeding program that involved native Kashmir sheep breeds like Poonchi, Gaddi, and Bakerwal, and exotic breeds like Australian Merino and Delaine rams.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Productivity<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The breed is 3 to 4 times more productive than local sheep in terms of both wool and meat production, and is comparable to exotic fine wool breeds.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Adaptability<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It is well-adapted to the harsh climatic conditions and diseases of the Kashmir Valley.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>India\u2019s First Gene-Edited Sheep: A Landmark Achievement<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Six months after its birth, India\u2019s first gene-edited sheep\u2014a Kashmir Merino\u2014is now healthy and thriving, marking a significant breakthrough in livestock biotechnology.\n<ul>\n<li>Gene editing is a precise technique that allows scientists to modify or alter specific DNA sequences within an organism\u2019s genome.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s used to correct genetic defects, improve traits, or enhance disease resistance using tools like CRISPR-Cas9.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Targeting the Myostatin Gene for Muscle Growth<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The team used\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/crispr-cas9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to target the myostatin gene, a known negative regulator of muscle growth.\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>The myostatin gene (MSTN)\u00a0plays a crucial role in regulating skeletal muscle growth and development in vertebrates.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It encodes a protein called myostatin, which acts as a negative regulator, limiting muscle growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Editing this gene resulted in a 30% increase in muscle mass, offering major potential in boosting meat yield in sheep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Wider Significance for India<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Experts highlighted the project&#8217;s national relevance, especially in meeting rising meat demands.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Gene-editing is essential for creating high-quality, disease-resistant livestock, and the technology is already being widely used globally.<\/li>\n<li>The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap akin to the revolution Artificial Intelligence is driving in the 21st century.<\/li>\n<li>This comes after India\u2019s recent launch of its first gene-edited rice. It highlights the country\u2019s rising strength in genomic science.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Challenges and Persistence<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The team\u2019s journey began in 2020 and wasn\u2019t smooth. It failed three times before succeeding in gene-editing.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The embryo was developed in a lab, implanted in a surrogate mother, and the sheep was born in December 2024, weighing 3.15 kg.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>From Cloning to Gene-Editing<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The SKUAST lab has come a long way since cloning the\u00a0<strong>world\u2019s first pashmina goat, Noori<\/strong>, in 2012.\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Noori lived for 11 years, marking a milestone in endangered species cloning.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cloning<\/strong>\u00a0is the process of creating an\u00a0<strong>exact genetic copy<\/strong>\u00a0of a living organism.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This means the cloned organism has the\u00a0<strong>same DNA<\/strong>\u00a0as the original.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Now, the lab has advanced to gene-editing, with plans to target the FGF5 gene next to improve fibre quality.\n<ul>\n<li>The FGF5 gene, also known as Fibroblast Growth Factor 5.<\/li>\n<li>It\u00a0plays a critical role in regulating hair growth, particularly the length of hair, in mammals.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Gene-Edited Sheep FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong>\u00a0What is gene editing in animals?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0It is a technique to alter specific genes, improving traits like muscle growth, disease resistance, and productivity in livestock.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong>\u00a0Which gene was targeted in India\u2019s first gene-edited sheep?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0The myostatin gene, which limits muscle growth, was edited to boost muscle mass by up to 30 percent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong>\u00a0Which technology was used for editing the gene?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used, enabling precise modification of the myostatin gene in the sheep\u2019s genome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong>\u00a0Why is this sheep significant?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0It represents India\u2019s entry into advanced livestock genets, aiming for better meat yield and disease resistance through gene editing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong>\u00a0Which institution led this breakthrough?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Srinagar, pioneered the project under Prof. Riyaz Ahmad Shah.<\/p>\n<p>.<strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/long-reads\/india-first-gene-edited-sheep-born-srinagar-lab-10049067\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/science\/indias-first-gene-edited-sheep-developed-in-kashmir-agricultural-university-all-you-need-to-know-11748393090461.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">LM<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India&#8217;s first gene-edited sheep, a Kashmir Merino, shows a 30% muscle gain, marking a breakthrough in animal biotechnology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":49609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[763,60,761,760],"class_list":{"0":"post-49607","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-gene-edited-sheep","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-currrent-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-currrent-afffairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}