Genetic Breakthrough with Cows to Help Them Fight Tuberculosis

In China, veterinary medicine researchers used CRISPR/Cas9n genetic editing technology to add tuberculosis resistant gene, NRAMP1, into live cow genomes to help cows become less likely to get tuberculosis. There were no side effects or weird byproducts of doing this genetic manipulation according to their study. Genetic code modification often creates some sort of inadvertent alteration which presents a challenge to researchers conducting these gene editing projects, but in this case, it was successful. None of the 11 calves that had the gene inserted in a particular region in their genome had any side effects while proving resistant when exposed to bovine tuberculosis.