Question

The dairy sector is not well developed in Ghana. With your understanding of animal biotechnology, discuss how the sector can be improved using biotechnology taking into consideration any issues or concerns that might arise as a result of the implementation of such technologies.

Answer 1

Animal biotechnology is the use of science and engineering to modify living organisms. The goal is to make products, to improve animals and to develop microorganisms for specific agricultural usesscientists use gene modification, molecular marker technology and genomics as research tools in the development of improved pastures for more efficient production, better quality and cleaner environment.Developi genetically modified grasses with improved herbage quality by altering the lignification of cell walls.Scientific feeding of cows, genetic selection, artificial insemination, and enhanced disease-control are just a few of the advances that have benefited the dairy industry.

Scientists can develop genomics technologies for increased genetic gain and improved milk production in dairy cattle. Scientists can identify specific genes and genetic markers to either modify or select for traits associated with milk yield and composition, lactation persistency and sensitivity to nutritional status. These genetic markers identified that code for increased production are being used by dairy producers to breed better-performing cows. At some future time research may lead to genetically modified dairy cattle that produce milk with increased amounts of casein protein, thereby increasing the value of their milk.

How Can Improve :

Biotechnology has facilitated the discovery of new molecules, such as bacteriocins and antimicrobial peptides that are being evaluated for the treatment and prevention of dairy-cattle diseases.Genetic manipulation in animal for higher productivity is also called genetic engineering, refers to the alteration of the genes of an organism. It involves manually adding new DNA to an organism to add new traits.

Genetic engineering is the name of a group of techniques used to identify, replicate, modify and transfer the genetic material of cells, tissues or complete organisms.The DNA of calf chymosin has been successfull cloned into yeast (Kluveromyces lactis), bacteria (Ecoli) and moulds (Aspergillus niger). These can be produced on large scale by fermentation methods and extracted by down stream processing. Technological performance of recombinant chymosin is excellent since the cheese produced using recombinant chymosin is essentially indistinguishable from traditional cheese.

Transgenic crops currently approved for use as animal feed are modified for herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, modified oil content, and virus resistance. Many of the proteins expressed in GM crops have a history of safe usage and/or are similar to naturally occurring proteins and there by increasing milk production rate

Advantages

• Marker-assisted selection that could be used to select dairy cattle that are more resistant to mastitis and other diseases.

• New molecules and vaccines for treatment and prevention of dairy-cattle disease.

• Development of transgenic disease-resistant cows.

• Transgenic cows that produce hard-to-obtain bio-pharmaceuticals for treatment of human disease (i.e. hormones and blood-clotting factors).

• Designer milk with increased concentrations of desirable components, such as casein, or decreased concentrations of less-desirable components.

• Rapid and inexpensive on-farm (in-line and hand-held devices) and nanotechnology pathogen-detection platforms.

Issues

The ethical issues associated with transgenic animals and mammalian cloning fit into three broad categories.

1. First are issues that pertain to the impact of this technology on the animals themselves.

2. Second are issues that relate to the institutions and procedures that govern the research and applications context within the agrifood system.

3. Finally there are issues that relate to the relationship between humans and other animals

4 Other Issues: Concerns that animal biotechnology might narrow the gene pool reduce genetic diversity Concerns that animals engineered in biomedical research to be models of human diseases might escape and infect the human (and animal) population might generate new and more resistant strains of the disease. Genetic modification breakdown natural specie boundary .Genetic modification breaks down the natural order of species. By genetic engineering all species boundaries are crossed, tampering with nature, appears as hubristic interference which is ethically wrong. Government should apply the laws that ingredients must be labelled with GMO’s and non.GMO’s beacuse consumers have the right to choose their desirable food.

Gene probes and monoclonal antibodies as diagnostics, bovine somatotropin to increase milk production, recombinant DNA-rennin in cheesemaking, recombinant-DNA starter cultures, and enzymes to convert lactose to oligosaccharides are used as examples relevant to the dairy industry. It is advocated that the dairy industry develop a biotechnology policy and an education programme, and actively consider joint ventures with dedicated biotechnology companies.