Monday 21 May, 2001
The Use Of Genetically Modified Animals
Genetically modified animals are going to play a vital role in our battle against diseases such as foot and mouth and sleeping sickness, according to a report produced by the UK's Royal Society.
The organisation is calling for public money to fund work, which will help people in developing countries as well as in the developed world, and hopes this report will widen public debate. BBC Science reports.
GM Database
The independent scientific body, the Royal Society, argues that humans have been genetically modifying animals for hundreds of years by selectively breeding them for our benefit - for instance cows with better milk production and race horses that are faster. But now it claims there needs to be certain guidelines in place to ensure animal welfare.
The Society calls for a database to be set up so all genetically modified animals can be registered and monitored - mainly to prevent the altered genes from getting into wild populations. It is also calling for laboratories where this type of work is being carried out should also have strict emergency plans in case any of the GM animals escape or are let loose deliberately.
Animal Welfare
Genetic modification has arguably become the most controversial technology of our time. Not since nuclear power, has a technology come upon the scene to stir up so many environmental and civil society groups.
Concern surrounding the creation of freak GM creatures has already been expressed. Additionally Compassion In World Farming has also questioned the welfare of genetically modified farm animals.
Speaking to BBC News Online Joyce DiSilva, CIWF director condemned the reports views on animal welfare, commenting:
'What would you expect from a society whose job it is to support leading-edge scientific research?'
In response to critics Professor Patrick Bateson, Vice-President of the Royal Society and chairman of the working group that prepared the report, said:
| 'We are already seeing the benefits of this research through the production of such substances as human blood-clotting factors and antibodies in the milk of GM animals.' | |
'However, we share the concerns of many members of the public about welfare issues and we believe that the research should minimise the suffering to animals while maximising the gain to medicine, agriculture and our fundamental understanding of biology.'
The report, entitled The Use of Genetically Modified Animals, went on to stress that because of the use of specific genes, GM technology may actually provide fewer animal welfare problems. Professor Bateson explains:
'It involves the transfer of specific genes whose primary functions are known, giving researchers an indication of their likely effects, whereas selective breeding results in many genes of unknown action being changed.'
Public Funding
Sir Bob May, the President of the Royal Society has also indicated that he wants this type of work to be publicly funded so everyone - including people in developing countries can benefit from this research. On this point Professor Bateson comments:
'We feel this information should be in the public domain and should be available to the people in the third world so for example they can get stock which is resistant to disease and that's a very important thing in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa.'
The authors also say that while scientists are still trying to find out how genes work and what they do, many more animals, particularly laboratory mice, which are very useful models for human genetics will be used for research.
Animals are already being genetically modified with human diseases like cancer, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia so new treatments can be tested for these conditions, which effect millions of people world wide.
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| Mutant Mice |
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Mice are the most regularly modified animals as scientists recognise that they share many of the 30,000 to 40,000 human genes.
In August 2000 animal welfare groups expressed concern after a consortium of British research groups developed 500 new strains of mice that could mimic human health problems.
The amount of discarded animals and the scale of the project worried the groups. From 26,000 mutant mice only 500 made it into the "library" of promising animal models. |
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