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Gene-Modified Cow Makes Hypoallergenic Milk Rich in Protein
Gene-Modified Cow Makes Hypoallergenic Milk Rich in Protein - SFGate
Elizabeth Lopatto, ©2012 Bloomberg News
Published 2:30 p.m., Monday, October 1, 2012
Gene-Modified Cow Makes Hypoallergenic Milk Rich in Protein - SFGate
Elizabeth Lopatto, ©2012 Bloomberg News
Published 2:30 p.m., Monday, October 1, 2012
(Updates with U.S. industry revenue in sixth paragraph.)
Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Scientists have altered the genes of a dairy cow to produce milk thats rich in a protein used in numerous food products and lacking in a component that causes allergies in humans.
Using a process called RNA-interference that turns certain genes on or off, scientists from New Zealand produced a cow whose milk had increased casein, a protein used to make cheese and other foods, and almost no beta-lactoglobulin, a component in milk whey protein that causes allergies. The female calf was also born without a tail, according to the report today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study can be seen as a proof-of-concept that tinkering with nutritional content genetically is possible, said William Hallman, director of the food policy institute at Rutgers University. More testing will be needed to determine the milks full dietary content, and scientists must consider the effects of breeding gene-altered animals, he said. The field has been controversial because of safety and environmental concerns.
Could you clone a breeding stock that would allow for a herd with milk of this type? Hallman, who wasnt involved in the study, said in a telephone interview. There are lots of issues about what might happen in the next generation.
Todays research represents a road map for other groups that may wish to knock out proteins, and not just in milk, he said.
Dairy Economics
Farmers in the U.S. earned about $35 billion in 2011 from dairy sales, said Christopher Galen, a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation.